Dodgers and Braves dump salary in trade involving Adrian Gonzalez and Matt Kemp

What the heck year is it right now? No, really, somebody answer me.

Because the Dodgers were just involved in a huge salary dump trade that included Adrian Gonzalez on one side of it, and Matt Kemp technically on the Los Angeles roster again. So if it’s not 2012, we’re getting awfully close to time travel.

According to multiple reporters, but first broken by Dodgers beat writer Ken Gurnick, LA is sending Adrian Gonzalez, Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir, Charlie Culberson and cash considerations to the Braves in exchange for Matt Kemp.

At first blush, this seems like a major swap based on the names involved and because sometimes it’s tempting to pretend that it is still five years ago when we think of these players. But it’s actually just a massive salary dump both ways and involves multiple players who probably won’t ever play for the teams they were just traded to.

With this deal, LA gets to shed three major contracts and a contributing player that isn’t a huge difference maker to get them under the luxury tax threshold for 2018 and re-set their tax rate going into next year’s much crazier offseason when they will be opening their coffers for a big free agent once again.

For the Braves, they are going to DFA Gonzalez so he can go back on the free agent market, add McCarthy to the rotation (he’s coming off a year peppered with injuries), and hope Kazmir comes back from a season where he didn’t throw a single major league pitch to be a worthy addition to the rotation (he had a 4.56 ERA in 136.1 innings in 2016 with the Dodgers).

They also get Kemp’s salary off their books — he had two years left on his deal whereas every contract they traded for will be done after this season -- and maybe get exciting prospect Ronald Acuna into the outfield earlier than expected now that Kemp isn’t there to block his way.

For 2018 Gonzalez was due to make $22.36 million, McCarthy $11.5, Kazmir $17.67, and Kemp $21.5 (and the same in 2019).

Early reports say that the Dodgers will now try to flip Kemp in a trade but the Braves had trouble getting rid of his salary outside of this exact type of deal so whether the Dodgers have any more luck there is yet to be seen. He’s fallen a long way since his LA heyday so the prospect of adding him and his contract in 2018 is a tough pill to swallow around the league.

Overall, this is a salary dump both ways and multiple players involved may not ever wear a new uniform. But if this were 2012, it would be very exciting.