Infielder Buddy Kennedy elected free agency after being outrighted by the Dodgers, according to the MLB.com transaction log. He’d been designated for assignment earlier in the week when Kiké Hernández returned from injury.
Los Angeles claimed Kennedy off waivers from Toronto two weeks ago. That coincided with an IL placement for Max Muncy. He joined Tommy Edman, Hyeseong Kim and Hernández on the shelf. Kennedy provided an extra infielder alongside Miguel Rojas and rookie Alex Freeland between second and third base. He went 1-17 over seven games.
A former fifth-round pick of the Diamondbacks, Kennedy has played sporadically in parts of four big league seasons. He’s a .178/.271/.274 hitter in 181 career plate appearances. The 26-year-old has split time in Triple-A this year between the Philadelphia and Toronto systems. He has turned in a solid .268/.372/.408 showing in 77 combined games.
Kennedy will look for a minor league deal elsewhere. He’d need to be in another organization by September 1 to be eligible for a postseason roster. He’d be a long shot to get a playoff roster spot either way, of course, but it stands to reason a signing team would prefer that flexibility if they’re adding him as upper minors infield depth.
He’s not your buddy friend
He’s definitely too old for being a buddy, if it was me I would graduate to “Bud.”
Men who go by Buddy are usually juniors with the same given name as their father, but not in this case. It seems Buddy is his actual first name.
Bud or Buddy short for Buddington? Buddlesworth?? Buddorwitz? Hmmmmm.
John, or James, or Edward, or whatever. The kid gets a nickname like Buddy, Chip, Trip, Tre, or Skip so as not to confuse him with his dad. I figured everybody knew a junior who has a nickname for that reason. Guess not!
No it isn’t. His legal first name is Clifton
Maybe that’s how they do it in the tonier enclaves of LA County but my dad is an Elmer Jr. and his father is Elmer Sr. and thank you Mom I was not deemed Elmer III.
Clifton? He prolly dances to Tom Jones then when no one’s looking
You no Fudd
I hear it’s not unusual.
Yep, Clifton Lewis Kennedy. Didn’t find that the first time I looked. Bet that was his dad’s name, too.
Ah, no. I have never lived in any of the tonier enclaves of LA County and didn’t even grow up in this part of the country. But anyway — yes, you can be thankful your family’s male naming tradition ended with your dad!
Clifton Kennedy
Buddy needs to get signed by the Astros or Tigers next, and he’ll have about a 50% chance at a World Series ring this year.