Former Padres Outfielder Was 'Super Happy' to Be Traded: 'I Need to Go Somewhere Where it Matters'

Former San Diego Padres outfielder Matt Kemp spent less than two seasons in San Diego from 2015-16 before he was traded to the Atlanta Braves. His reaction to getting traded from the Padres when it happened? Elated.

While appearing on The Pivot Podcast with hosts Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder, Kemp recalled how he didn't like the lack of accountability while playing for San Diego.

“When I got traded to Atlanta from San Diego, man I was like super happy because I wanted to get out of San Diego because it was weird. It was just weird vibes," Kemp recalled. "I was used to being in L.A. and people holding you accountable, especially the media… In San Diego, the first month and a half, I was terrible. I’m at my locker like this, nobody bothering me, asking me questions. I was like, I need to go somewhere where it matters.”

Prior to joining the Padres, Kemp spent nine seasons with the Dodgers, where the team certainly faces broad scrutiny.

During the time Kemp was with the Padres, they simply were not good. They had not won 80 games in five years, and had not made the playoffs in nearly a decade.

Unfortunately for Kemp, his timing was off. The current Padres' atmosphere is not the same. The club has one of the best home attendance turnouts in MLB, and fans are not afraid to boo the team if the team isn't performing.

In addition, the Padres have found more relevance recently, having made the playoffs in 2020 and 2022. It's clear that things didn't work out for Kemp, a three-time All-Star, while he was on the Padres. Since then, San Diego has also grown as a team — and a baseball town.