Written by David O’Brien at The Atlanta Journal Constitution
The Braves managed to rid themselves of Hector Olivera, trading the troubled outfielder to the San Diego Padres for two-time former All-Star outfielder Matt Kemp in a swap of bad contracts. And in the Braves’ case, a creative means of getting some right-handed power while cutting ties with a player they no longer wanted to be associated with.
Olivera, 31, is serving an 82-game suspension through Aug. 1 for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic-violence policy after being arrested April 13 and charged with one count of misdemeanor assault and battery for allegedly beating a female acquaintance in an incident at the team hotel in Arlington, Va. She was treated a local hospital.
Kemp, 31, has hit .262 with 23 home runs — five more than Braves team leader Freddie Freeman — and 69 RBIs in 100 games this season, with 100 strikeouts, 16 walks and a career-worst .285 OBP and .489 slugging percentage. He’s hit .313 (30-for-94) with runners in scoring position and .333 against left-handers.
“He’s someone who can help us out,” Braves general manager John Coppolella said. “We need to get back to winning games here. We think this guy can hit right behind Freddie Freeman, can give us some power that we sorely lack, and that he’ll be a really good help to our team on the field and off the field as we try to get back to being a playoff-caliber team.”
The Braves expect to have Kemp in uniform for Tuesday’s series opener against the Pirates at Turner Field, after an off day in the schedule Monday. He’s expected to bat cleanup and play left field unless the Braves trade right fielder Nick Markakis.
Kemp has played only right field the past two seasons, after playing 41 games in center and 44 games in left in 2014.
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