The Mariners and Dodgers were close to a deal that would have sent outfielder Matt Kemp to Seattle before the Dodgers insisted on receiving either Taijuan Walker or James Paxton in the trade, the Tacoma News Tribune reports.
This turn of events reportedly happened before the Mariners brought Nelson Cruz into the fold, making it seem less likely that the team would acquiesce to the Dodgers' demands at this point. However, the Mariners' one big need heading into the Winter Meetings remains run-producing right fielder who can bat right-handed, and if they ultimately don't wind up signing Melky Cabrera, a Kemp trade could conceivably end up back on the table at some point this offseason.