July 4: The Reds have now officially selected Kennedy’s contract, optioning outfielder Stuart Fairchild in a corresponding move.
July 3, 9:05pm: Cincinnati confirmed that Kennedy will get the start tomorrow morning against the Nationals (via Sheldon).
5:25pm: The Reds announced today that right-hander Brett Kennedy has been added to their taxi squad. Manager David Bell tells Mark Sheldon of MLB.com that Kennedy is likely to either start tomorrow’s game or enter after an opener. The righty isn’t currently on the club’s roster, meaning he will have to be selected prior to that game. They already have a vacancy on their 40-man roster but a corresponding move will be required to open a spot on the active roster.
Kennedy, 28, will be pitching in the big leagues for the first time since 2018. He made his major league debut with the Padres that year, making six starts with a 6.75 ERA in 26 2/3 innings. He began the 2019 season on the injured list due to a lat strain and ended up staying there all year, getting outrighted off the roster at season’s end. With the minor leagues being canceled by the pandemic in 2020, he wasn’t able to pitch in any official capacity. He then spent 2021 stuck in the minors and reached free agency at the conclusion of that campaign.
Kennedy began both 2022 and 2023 with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League. Last year, he made six starts as a Duck with a 3.03 ERA before his contract was selected by the Red Sox. He then posted a 3.94 ERA in 75 1/3 Double-A innings but never got the call to the big leagues. He returned to the Ducks this year and had a 3.09 ERA through three starts before the Reds purchased his contract.
Since joining the Reds organization, he’s made eight Triple-A starts and thrown 43 2/3 innings. He has a 3.71 ERA in those, striking out 19.8% of batters faced while walking 6.4% of them and getting grounders on 39.6% of balls in play.
There’s been much uncertainty in the rotation in Cincinnati of late, with injuries taking a significant toll on the staff. Vladimir Gutierrez and Justin Dunn have each been on the IL all season so far. Nick Lodolo and Connor Overton each landed there in May with Hunter Greene and Ben Lively joining them in June.
Graham Ashcraft recently returned from his own IL stint but has an ERA of 6.66 on the year. Each of Brandon Williamson, Luke Weaver and Levi Stoudt has an ERA above 5.55. Andrew Abbott has a 1.21 ERA but some regression will have to be expected since he won’t be able to maintain a 100% strand rate or .190 batting average on balls in play. Their starters have collective 5.72 ERA on the year, better than just the Athletics and Rockies.
Those challenges will push the club to give Kennedy a try, his first major league action in five years. He has a full slate of options and between one and two years of service time, which could allow the club to keep him as a depth option for the foreseeable future, as long as he continues to hang onto a 40-man roster spot.
I do not understand why we select and dfa pitchers to start or relieve that are not mlb caliber. Front office acting like we are not in first place. Time to trade for a half way decent pitcher. If we wait til Aug 1 we might not
be in First
Which teams that are out of contention have good pitching available to trade for right now? Not many.
I’m sure you have been on the line with all the GMs to determine that too.
The media has no real clue what goes on between clubs.
It’s people that keep making excuses for them and keep coming back that they are counting on.
I would nominate James Paxton from the Red Sox.. Free agent at the end of the year, so he would be a perfect rental at a reasonable salary for the balance of the year.
Except the return isn’t going to be reasonable.
@iron – the Red Sox have a winning record and are only 4 games out of a wildcard spot. Maybe their situation changes by the trade deadline but as things stand right now it would take an extreme overpay to get Paxton.
although not insurmountable, they are a .500 right now and have a 4-8 record in the last 12. feels like more sellers than buyers at this point. may as well get something for him since he is a FA at the end of the year.
Mets and Padres are starting a 3 game series. Whichever team drops 2 out of 3 is all but out of the wildcard race and should have good veteran pitchers available. They probably won’t throw in the towel but being 42-48 would mean they would have to go 44-28 the rest of the way to win 86 games (about what it would take to get wildcard). That seems unrealistic.
Reds ownership have no interest in winning games so they’re not trade for a decent pitcher
There is a reason they have not won since 1990.
That team was much like this one, a special group. But management did what was needed for them to take advantage of that opportunity.
This group of guys are succeeding because of their belief in themselves. Period.
People here seem to think this kind of thing happens every year. It does not, especially for small market clubs.
Another bullpen day today, more opportunity for them to get burned out. Law has been hurt already. Farmer, Gibalt, and even Diaz have had subpar outings lately showing burnout.
I AM enjoying this run. I don’t want it to end because of sheer idiocy. You are playing your main rival the next two weeks and you are running guys like this out there? Cmon.
You either understand baseball or buy the hype the propaganda machine paid by management throws out there. We know where everyone stands.
1. They’ve won a lot since 1990.
2. No prospects were traded to help the 1990 team.
3. Neither of us have any idea what they have tried to do, and what they’ve been asked to give up to do it.
Just enjoy the run. If someone told us in March the Reds would be a top of the division on July 4, we would’ve believed it.
A guy who hasn’t been in the bigs since 2018. Five years for those of you mathematically challenged.
The dumpster diving gets worse and the opportunity for these hard working kids keep slipping away.
They’ll remember this in the future, what kind of management they have. Too bad for long suffering Reds fans.
I am one of those long suffering Reds fans… and this has to be one of the most exciting teams that I have seen in awhile. I honestly couldn’t care less if they win the division or go to the playoffs this year, the progress that has been shown through the first half of what was strictly supposed to be development, has turned into such optimism. AND YET… there are fans that continue to be so negative about it. It must be exhausting being in that camp. If your the Reds around the trade deadline, at most, get a #3 starter that you have to give up very little in prospects for. Then ENJOY the rest of the year, no matter how it ends. Then when the year ends, and Votto comes off of the books, then you can look into your starter problems. But to go all in on this year… would be a mistake.
Yea for real. Get a Grienke and hope people get healthy. Quit crying about management every post
2023 Reds are still in rebuild infancy. A weak division and half a dozen young player/prospects performing at near All Star levels has put the Reds in contention. But being in first place is substantially due to the great efforts of the “scrap heap” middle of the bullpen ( Farmer, Cruz, Gibaut, Law, and Young). There are no high priced FA on the entire pitching staff. Adding 1 or 2 could destroy the comradary that has been established on the team. I don’t just want 1-3 playoff games this fall. I want a quality, competitive organization for the next hald dozen years. Krall will get that done- if allowed to.
It won’t be that long. Players want to win, and when they see the non support from management, they will bolt in free agency, starting with India.
Why do you keep spewing this weird opinion based narrative on every post? These young Reds players aren’t going to be pissed at management for the rest of their career if they don’t trade off top level prospects for Bieber, Paxton, etc
Because that is how ballplayers think. Especially if they never sniff the postseason again there. You never know what the other clubs will do, now or in future years while you just sit there.
I’ll remind you later when they start departing. Just a reminder – Castellanos didn’t opt out after year two of a four year deal for no reason and they were a fool to give him that option.
Reading is a skill, by the way.
Who said trade top prospects necessarily? Who even said trade for an ace? But a competent major league middle of the rotation guy is entirely doable and necessary.
What use is trading for a middle of the rotation guy?
Neither Lodolo nor Greene appear to be done for the season. Lively has earned a spot in the rotation. Ashcraft is back and looks to have bounced back. Abbott is here to stay. That’s 5.
Connor Phillips is really close. 6.
Dunn and Gutierrez may both be available soon. That’s 7 and 8.
I’m not saying the Reds couldn’t use another starter today. In fact, they DEFINITELY could.
The issue is that – with some luck – the Reds are going to have a couple too many starting pitchers soon. So, how much value should they give up to bring another guy in, that’s likely to be shuffled out of the rotation six weeks from now?
The Reds are playing inspired baseball. Joey V. has shaken off the rust yet. BUt I’ll take his 4 HR over limited at bats.
Really, not an easy out in the line up. It’ll even get tougher when Strand arrives.
Biggest bummer among the injured SP is Greene. Well, at least the injury isn’t arm, elbow or shoulder related. There was one report that suggested he’d be back shortly after the all-star break.
As for acquiring a SP via trade, I’d call up the Rockies and inquire about Gomber. Would be interesting to see what he could do away from Coors and playing for a winner.
Because we’ve been doing it for over a month and are still in first. Its a young team. They are going to be good for a long time. Don’t rush it and make unnecessary short term trades.
Testament to how good Luis Castillo was to pitch so effectively there.
I think it is time for the Reds to give Bartolo Colon, Jamie Moyer, and Bill “The Spaceman” Lee a call!
Not quite! you are funny, but you guys are legit! The Brewers have pitching but you got a much better lineup. looking forward to the games coming up this weekend!
Kennedy was a scrap heap pick up but he looked pretty good today. 93-94 with a nice change up. Should have only given up 2 runs in 5+ if the relief pitching was better.