Report: Kemp has arthritis in both hips

[Update, 12:04 p.m.: The widely reported deadline of Thursday to reach a deal is actually an unofficial deadline agreed to by the Padres and Dodgers, sources said. Teams are typically given a 72-hour window to conduct a physical, which the Padres already have done with Kemp. The Thursday deadline could be extended. Sources indicated the Kemp deal could be finalized by the weekend, as the Padres still hope to bring in both the Dodgers outfielder and Rays outfielder Wil Myers. The Padres continue to review medicals, though it is unclear if they are trying to rework the terms of the trade.]

The trade that would send Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp to the Padres has yet to be finalized because Kemp’s physical exam revealed “severe arthritis in both hips,” according to a USA Today report. The report also notes that the Padres are continuing to consult medical experts before deciding how to proceed.

Such a finding could dramatically alter the situation. Barely more than a week ago, the teams agreed that the Padres would swap catcher Yasmani Grandal, right-hander Joe Wieland and pitching prospect Zach Eflin for Kemp, catcher Tim Federowicz and $32 million, to go toward paying the remaining $107 million on Kemp’s contract.

Even before Nightengale’s report, it was thought that Kemp’s lengthy injury history might convince the Padres to press for more money; the Rangers, where Padres GM A.J. Preller rose through the front-office ranks, have used medical concerns to rework deals at the 11th hour.

Now, the revelation of arthritis could erase what leverage the Dodgers had left. Los Angeles, which is planning on swinging Eflin to help land Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, might be facing one very awkward mess, should the trade with the Padres fall through.

This could turn ugly for both sides. As some have pointed out, the information in the USA Today report gives the appearance of a leak -- for Kemp, a particularly damaging one -- which brings up all sorts of confidentiality issues.

The Padres on Wednesday agreed to a three-team trade, landing a younger, and presumably healthier, outfielder in Wil Myers (although the stress fracture in his wrist last season is cause for some concern). If they don’t get Kemp after all, they already have had extensive conversations with the Braves about outfielder Justin Upton.

But the Kemp deal disintegrating could further complicate things. In the aforementioned three-team trade, the Padres would receive catcher Ryan Hanigan -- a possible redundancy should Grandal return to the Padres.

Padres officials have declined to comment on Kemp’s physical.