When Matt Kemp was traded away in late 2014 for a bunch of people I had never heard of, it was hard to take. I grew up in a time where Kemp had peaked to his top performance level while I was in high school. I always tried my best to mirror his playing style, down to his lackadaisical defense. Naturally, the trade that sent him down to San Diego was devastating.
I had no idea at the time who Yasmani Grandal was, or even why he was needed. I thought to myself; there’s no way he can be as good as a Russell Martin or a Paul Lo Duca, some of my all-time favorite Dodger backstops.