The Phillies announced this morning that they’ve designated infielder Buddy Kennedy for assignment. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had already signaled earlier in the week that Kennedy, who’s out of minor league options, wouldn’t make the team’s Opening Day roster. He’s been discussing potential trades of the infielder already. Today’s DFA doesn’t change that. He can still be traded for the next five days, though if no deal is reached by that point, he’ll be placed on outright waivers and made available to the other 29 teams.
Kennedy, 26, has played 54 big league games with three teams — D-backs, Tigers, Phillies — across the past three seasons. He’s a career .203/.295/.313 hitter in a small sample of 149 major league plate appearances. Kennedy hasn’t gotten any real extended shot at playing time in the big leagues, however, despite a strong Triple-A track record. He’s played in parts of three seasons at the top minor league level and turned in a .281/.392/.435 batting line. He’s walked in a massive 14.4% of his plate appearances against an 18.2% strikeout rate that’s significantly lower than league average.
A fifth-round pick out of the same Millville High School that produced Mike Trout, Kennedy is a right-handed hitter who’s played all four infield positions and left field in his professional career. The vast majority of his time has been spent at third base (3470 innings) and second base (1285 innings), but he’s played 110 innings at first base, 93 innings in left field and 10 innings at shortstop. Kennedy had no platoon splits at the plate in 2024 and has been productive against both lefties and righties in each of the past three seasons (2023-24 in particular).
Sa-wiiinnng batta
Bring him back, Tigers
I’m not your Buddy, friend!
He’s not your buddy, guy
Phillies told Buddy to fetch and he never came back
Buddy won’t become a wealthy Kennedy; the football slider will guarantee that.
Whose football slider?
Roger Beshens Football Slider. MLB Teams did not know how to teach it. NO MLB team taught it before 2018, Doesn’t matter if Roger created or not or even if someone else threw it. TEAMS did not know instructions how to throw it.
Follow the Money…
Couldn’t beat out Clemens, says it all.
Flip him to the Rockies with Griff McGarry for Sam Hilliard (also DFA’d) and Evan Justice. Rockies need an up the middle INF’er, Phillies need an OF’er and another lefty for the pen if they’re not gonna use Ranger in that role.