Matt Kemp finalized his contract extension with the Dodgers on Friday, agreeing to an eight-year, $160 million deal. It's the largest in the storied history of the Dodgers.
Make no mistake about it: Matt Kemp is officially the face of the franchise.
With the Dodgers in the middle of a massive change in ownership, Ned Colletti did the right thing by declaring Kemp the guy who will lead the team into the future. And why not? The guy is coming off a season in which he posted some absolutely sick numbers: .324 AVG, .399 OBP, 115 R, 33 2B, 39 HR, 127 RBI, 40 S. Plus, he won his second Gold Glove by taking home the top honor for center field.
What made the 2011 even more special for Kemp was that he looked so lost the year before. It's hard to forget the images of Colletti complaining about his laziness and the many swinging strikeouts. Who knew what to expect from him going into this past season? He was about as big a question mark as there could be. He already had the reputation of a multi-talented player with little heart.
Rather than letting that become his legacy, he went out and showed the world what a top five-tool player looks like over and over again. Whether it was making a diving catch, stealing another base, or cracking a walk-off homer in extra-innings, he gave fans a reason to actually care about the Dodgers again, despite a mediocre record. He helped carry the team along with Clayton Kershaw.
The challenge for Kemp, like all others who sign huge contracts, will be to prove the money hasn't lessened the desire to be great. If you recall, Colletti's complaints two seasons ago came not long after he signed a two-year, $11.1 deal. It didn't take long for observers to question whether the money went straight to his head. A more mature Kemp this time around should eliminate that doubt.
It will also be interesting to see where the Dodgers go from here as far as the free agency scene goes. Dodger fans were hopefully that a big bat like Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder would come aboard, but Colletti did the smart thing in letting everyone know early that that wasn't going to happen. The payroll is already looking to be shrunk from $110 million last season to around $90 million next year. So you can forget about the big dogs.
Instead, there's guys like Andre Ethier and Kershaw to worry about. Ethier missed the end of the season with right knee surgery, so it's unknown how much the Dodgers want to commit to him. Still, unless a trade partner comes calling, it's hard to imagine him leaving. Kershaw is still under team control for three more years, so they will most likely milk that for all it's worth.
The offseason already got off to a great start thanks to Frank McCourt agreeing to take a hike. With Kemp signed, sealed, and delivered for many more years to come, Dodger fans have plenty more to get excited about. I know I am.
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