Buddy Kennedy is heading nearer to his hometown. The Detroit Tigers have dealt Kennedy, a 25-year-old infielder who was recently designated for assignment, to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday in return for cash considerations.
Earlier in the week, Kennedy was designated for assignment by the Tigers. This move came as the Tigers promoted outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy from Triple-A Toledo. Consequently, sending first baseman Spencer Torkelson to the minor leagues opened a spot on the 26-man roster, while designating Kennedy for assignment created an opening on the 40-man roster.
Kennedy has now joined the Phillies’ 40-man roster and has been sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In acquiring Kennedy, the Phillies bypassed teams with higher waiver priority.
Kennedy has strong connections to the Philadelphia area. He attended Millville High School in New Jersey, located just over 40 miles from Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies’ home stadium. Additionally, he grew up as a fan of the Phillies, as his grandfather, Don Money, a veteran MLB infielder of 16 years, played for the Phillies from 1968-1972.
The Tigers designated Kennedy for assignment due to the return of infielders Ryan Kreidler (recovering from a right finger fracture) and Eddys Leonard (recovering from a left oblique strain) to Triple-A Toledo on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, following their rehab assignments. With both players healthy, they surpassed Kennedy in the pecking order for a potential promotion to the big leagues if the Tigers required an infielder.
Kennedy holds a career batting average of .205 with a .294 on-base percentage over his 46-game MLB career spanning parts of three seasons. While he has primarily played second base and third base in the majors, he also has minor-league experience at left field, shortstop, and first base.
Kennedy was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the fifth round of the 2017 draft.
