Philadelphia Phillies’ Buddy Kennedy, right, hits an RBI double off New York Mets’ David Peterson during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
New York Mets’ Jose Iglesias (11) is tagged out by Philadelphia Phillies’ Buddy Kennedy, left, on a stolen base-attempt during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)
Philadelphia Phillies’ Buddy Kennedy in action during a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, in Philadelphia.
Buddy Kennedy could play a role with the Philadelphia Phillies this upcoming season.
On Friday, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski named the 2017 Millville High School graduate as one of three players who could claim the team’s final bench spot.
Kennedy appeared in eight games for the Phillies last season, batting .182 (2 for 11) with two RBIs.
Phillies fans chanted “Buddy! Buddy!” during Kennedy’s at-bats in key situations.
“We like guys on our roster. People like (Kody) Clemens, people like Buddy Kennedy and Wes Wilson too,” Dombrowski said when asked about the Phillies’ bench. “We think all three of them have the capabilities to play at the big league level this year. We’ve talked internally about, you know, what we’re going to give these guys an opportunity to do that.”
Kennedy, 26, grew up rooting for the Phillies. His maternal grandfather, Don Money, played for the Phillies from 1968 and 1972 and is the answer to the trivia question: Who hit the first home run at Veterans Stadium on April 10, 1971?
Kennedy made his big league debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 17, 2022.
The Phillies acquired him in a trade with the Tigers last June. At the time of the trade, Kennedy’s career seemed to be headed downwards but he turned it around with the Phillies’ triple-A affiliate, boasting a .295/.397/.513 slash line with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs in 63 games for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Dombrowksi met the media on a Zoom call Friday after the club announced it had signed former Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler to a one-year contract.
Kepler, 31, batted .253 with eight home runs and 42 RBIs last season. But Dombrowksi said Kepler was hampered by patella tendonitis and a core muscle injury that required surgery.
Phillies hitting coach Kevin Long watched Kepler work out in Arizona this offseason, according to Dombrowski, who said Kepler was swinging great.
“He makes contact, doesn’t chase as much,” Dombrowski said. “So there’s a lot of the qualities in an offensive player that we were looking to add.”
Dombrowski said the former Minnesota Twin would probably be the every-day left fielder for the Phillies. Kepler has made 826 starts in right field and 127 starts in center field over his 10-year big-league career.
But Dombrowski said he spoke with Terry Ryan, the former Twins general manager and current Phillies special assistant to the general manager, who said that Kepler was an excellent left fielder in the minor leagues.
