An infielder will remain with the Phillies despite being designated for assignment last week. After clearing waivers, he chose free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment but quickly re-signed with Philadelphia on a minor league contract. He will now report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he spent a productive 2023 season.
Kennedy first landed in Philadelphia last June in a DFA trade with the Tigers. While his major league opportunities were limited—appearing in just eight games—he made the most of his time in Triple-A. With the IronPigs, he slashed .294/.400/.500 over 67 games, hitting 10 home runs and demonstrating strong plate discipline by nearly matching his walk and strikeout totals. His performance was enough to keep him on the Phillies’ 40-man roster throughout the offseason, but with no minor league options remaining, he needed to secure a spot on the Opening Day roster this spring to avoid waivers.
Unfortunately for Kennedy, his Spring Training numbers did not help his case. Over 22 exhibition games, he managed just a .150 batting average, though he did show some power with three home runs. His plate discipline remained solid, evidenced by a 10:12 walk-to-strikeout ratio, but with only six hits in 40 at-bats, the Phillies opted to keep Edmundo Sosa and Kody Clemens instead, both of whom were also out of options.
With no team willing to claim him on waivers, Kennedy exercised his right to become a free agent. However, he quickly worked out a return to the Phillies, likely under a new minor league deal with different financial terms or opt-out clauses. The former fifth-round pick remains a strong depth option, boasting a .281/.392/.435 career slash line in 300 Triple-A games.
Leave a Reply