The Phillies announced that they have selected the contract of infielder Buddy Kennedy. Infielder/outfielder Weston Wilson has been optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley as the corresponding active roster move. To open a 40-man spot, right-hander Aaron Nola has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Kennedy, now 26, was acquired from the Tigers about a year ago. He exhausted his final option year in 2024 and was therefore out of options coming into 2025. He didn’t break camp with the club, which got him pushed onto the waiver wire. After he cleared waivers, the Phillies re-signed him to a new minor league deal. Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports that Kennedy had recently triggered an upward mobility clause in that deal. The Phils didn’t want him to get away, so they have added him to the roster today.
Since signing that deal, Kennedy has been in good form at the Triple-A level. He has appeared in 61 games for the IronPigs, hitting eight home runs with an 11.6% walk rate and 15.3% strikeout rate. That’s led to a .283/.388/.447 line and 126 wRC+, indicating he’s been 26% better than league average at the plate overall.
Triple-A success isn’t new for him but he hasn’t yet translated it to the majors. He has received scattered big league time from the Diamondbacks, Tigers and Phils, with a .203/.295/.313 line and 72 wRC+ in 149 trips to the plate over the 2022-2024 campaigns.
He has experience at all four infield positions and left field, so he should replace Wilson as the club’s multi-positional bench piece. That may not lead to a lot of playing time for Kennedy. Wilson was reinstated from the injured list about two months ago but has received only 42 plate appearances since then, including just one since June 9th.
As for Nola, he landed on the IL in the middle of May due to a sprained right ankle, though that’s no longer the main concern. It was reported just over a week ago that he would be shut down for two weeks due to a stress reaction in his rib cage. He’s now ineligible to return until 60 days from that initial IL placement, which would be mid-July. Even if he’s declared healthy in a week, he will need to ramp up his throwing and probably make a few rehab starts, so he likely wasn’t going to be back before the All-Star break anyway.
Photo courtesy of Eric Hartline, Imagn Images
Buddy Kennedy sounds like a guy who should be running for office in the ’70’s.
He is going to crash into a lake and leave the prostitute to drown.
Foolish comment
He’ll eat weird stuff instead of listening to the team trainers, and we will blame the worm in his brain.
Ivermectin kills the brain worms dead. Just like Kennedy and prostitutes. Should have been driving a VW since they float.
Not a surprise at all. If we get Nola back before the deadline that would be great but rotation depth is as good as we have had since I don’t remember. We were owed a bit of Nola injury karma after his 8 year run of good health.
WWilson was looking like a goner, as he didn’t grab hold of the at bats. They liked him; I liked the fundamental swing and plate approach but to expect a 31 year old journeyman to make a real impact is pushing the realities of the game. I actually didn’t know that WW had an option remaining.
So the question is – do they now play Kemp in a platoon in LF to see how he handles it when they want Kepler spelled against lefties?
And Wilson can get regular playing time in aaa
That’s my big question. I hope the Phillies don’t default back to playing Kepler vs. lefties just because he’s playing a little better.
Buddy Kennedy is another 4-A player. Can dominate at AAA, but lacks the offensive skills to do much in the majors. Kinda a poor man’s Kody Clemens.
I wonder when Crawford will get the call?
2026 when Kepler is gone
Let him play some 2B vs. LHP, like Buddy Kennedy. Hey, anybody know who his best friend is? Mike Trout. Think it would be awesome if Trout represented the Angels at the Allstar game one final time, then gets traded to the Phillies on the off day afterwards. And guess who the Phillies welcome to the Bank for the start of the second half? That’s right, the Anaheim Angels. He’ll be headed to town anyways.
Phillies acquire:
-Mike Trout LF (6/210)
-Reid Detmers LHP (arb)
Angels acquire:
-Johan Rojas CF
-Mick Abel RHP -Rookie (#7)
-Michael Mercado RHP (#23)
-Gabriel Rincones Jr. OF (#10)
-Robert Moore SS/2B (#30)
-Taijuan Walker (2/$36) – offsets exactly 1/2 ($18M) of Trout’s contract the next 2 years – Phils responsible for back end in lieu of trading top prospect)
I don’t think the Angels have enough prospects to throw in to make me take Mike Trout even if we gave up nothing.
5 More Years at $37million.ain’t happening.
Maybe if the Angels ate half the contract, I would throw in a bag of balls.
C’mon AC Surf – you need to resist these impulses to throw out ridiculous trade scenarios at every opportunity. There has to be a meeting somewhere tonight that can talk you down.
What a dumb move. He is crap and adds nothing. When Harper comes back better be this loser not Kemp that gets sent down, but given how bad at decisions DD has been this year sadly it will be Kemp.
Just don’t let him come in to RF for defense late in the game and he’ll be fine.
When Buddy was with the Tigers you could see he had a little bit of power and he played a pretty good 3B, too. Just needs a place to play everyday. Maybe with the Rockies or Marlins and I think he would be a decent player.
Does Buddy fetch? He’d be as useful as Rex Hudler. Who’s a good boy. Who’s a good boy? Now where are my slippers