Right-hander Ian Kennedy is retiring, he told Evan Thompson of Sport Relay during last night’s World Series celebration. While Kennedy indicated he had made the decision that this would be his final season going into 2023, he acknowledged “there’s no better way to go out” than as a member of a Rangers team that clinched the franchise’s first title.
The Yankees selected Kennedy in the first round of the 2006 draft. The USC product reached the majors a little more than a year later, debuting as a September call-up in ’07. He saw limited action in the Bronx over the next two-plus seasons. During the 2009-10 offseason, the Yanks dealt Kennedy to the Diamondbacks as part of the three-team blockbuster that moved Max Scherzer to Detroit and Curtis Granderson to New York.
Kennedy spent three and a half seasons as a key piece of the Arizona rotation. He led the National League with 21 wins while pitching to a 2.88 ERA across 222 innings in 2011, securing a fourth-place finish in NL Cy Young balloting. At the 2013 deadline, the Snakes flipped Kennedy to the Padres for Joe Thatcher. He worked out of the San Diego rotation for two and a half seasons, eating around 200 innings annually with a combined 3.97 ERA.
Going into 2016, the Royals signed the hurler to a five-year, $70MM free agent pact. After posting a 3.68 ERA across 33 starts during his first season in K.C., Kennedy struggled in 2017-18. He reinvented himself as a closer in 2019, saving 30 games while posting a 3.41 ERA. He was hit hard in the shortened season and landed with the Rangers on a minor league pact in 2021.
Kennedy had a strong rebound showing in Texas, emerging as one of the better rental relievers on that summer’s trade market. The Rangers dealt him alongside Kyle Gibson to the Phillies. He played out the stretch with Philadelphia, then returned to Arizona on a $4.75MM free agent deal. Kennedy’s return to the desert didn’t go well. He re-signed with the Rangers for 2023, logging 16 1/3 frames over a pair of stints. While he wasn’t on the active roster for Texas’ playoff run, he capped off his playing days with a ring.
It was a storybook punctuation to a 17-year run in the majors. Kennedy logged a little over 1900 innings between six teams, posting a 4.16 ERA. He struck out 1775 hitters, won 104 games and collected 66 saves after his late-career bullpen move. According to Baseball Reference, he banked over $101MM in career earnings. MLBTR congratulates Kennedy on an excellent run and wishes him the best in retirement.
A certain irony that he ended with Texas, but Ian was really bad during his stint with Arizona.
Congrats to him anyway
Which stint?
2022, his most recent
In 2011 with Arizona he was 21-4 with a 2.88 E.R.A.. Not bad.
Can’t believe some guy on MLB Network called him a Cy Young winner one year. He’s had flashes of success, but he’s never been a top end pitcher.
Neither has Rick Porcello.
Absolutely, I was 100% against Rick Porcello getting the Cy Young. I was vocal about it too as a Sox fan. He stole it from Verlander. He won it cheaply too with all second place votes.
Perfect way to go out. He had a perfectly okay career, he got his big fat lottery jackpot sized long term contract, he ended his career with a World Series ring despite a DFA-quality season. It’s the perfect time for him to call it a career.
There comes a time for all of us when we stare into the mirror and say “You’re not a young man anymore, hoss.”
Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Mark Melancon, DRob, Joba etc… all retired or soon to be. I’m staring into the mirror now.
I know exactly how it is buddy, I have probably 10 years on you and the mirror and I are still having stare downs.
The Trinity: Hughes, Kennedy, and Joba
Love that song!
That a way! Go out a winner. So few athletes in pro sports don’t have the humility to go out on top.
Some athletes want to continue working, doing the only job theyve ever known.
It’s impressive he managed to get that much money out of free agency.
1900 major league innings…
I saw you in Rudy’s. You were very high. Youuuuu…were high.
So was I…. so high
I was just at Rudy’s last week, had a shot and a Rudy’s Blonde. No black cow.
Nice career and end with a ring, that’s awesome.
Kennedy has been toast since the end of the first half of 2021. At least he gets to go out with a ring
I remember wanting my team to sign him on more than a few occasions!
Tremendous career, all the best to him,
Given the current trend, maybe he’ll wind up in a front office somewhere. You kick around for 19 seasons you learn a thing or two.
So long, Een.
Ian Kennedy is exactly the type of player I root for. Someone that does whatever it takes to play just one more year. I remember the entire baseball world laughing at the Royals when they gave him that contract. Seems like pitchers who show TOR type stuff in just one year seem to get the benefit of the doubt when they first hit FA. Alex Cobb, Matt Garza, Patrick Corbin, Jeff Samardzija, etc never put up the numbers to justify their contract but very few if any are like Kennedy who had no problem moving to the pen because that is what the team needed. I remember when that was actually the norm and not an outlier. Even some HoF pitchers did that to extend their career. John Smoltz and Dennis Eckersley come to mind. Who knows how long a pitcher like Johnny Cueto, Chris Archer or David Price could have pitched out of the pen.
Congrats on a decent career. Now get on with your life’s work.
Good career. He now has two World Series rings, one with the 2009 Yankees and the second with the 2023 Rangers in which he pitched a total of 17 innings.
He received a little over $1 million for each win he had in his career. These players get paid way too much!
So the owners should just keep more of the money even though they arent the ones doing the work?
But where are you tomorrow?