The Philadelphia Phillies have finally finalized their Opening Day roster, making one struggling infielder available for trade.
Opening Day for the 2025 MLB season is approaching, leaving the Philadelphia Phillies with little time to assemble their inaugural roster. Rob Thomson’s club entered Monday with one bench space open following a spate of weekend movements, leaving it to be seen whether Kody Clemens or Buddy Kennedy would take the final slot.
The Phillies have since disclosed which of the two made the Opening Day roster, likely signaling the end of the other’s stint in Philadelphia.
Earlier, Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski confirmed to reporters that Clemens “will make the team.” This pre-Opening Day decision means Kennedy is out, and Philadelphia will attempt to trade him before Thursday’s roster deadline.
Kennedy, a 2017 fifth-round pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks, has struggled to maintain a spot in the majors. Since the start of the 2022 season, he has played for three different teams and joined the Phillies last June when they acquired him from the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations.
After the trade, Kennedy spent most of his time with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, appearing in 67 games with 248 at-bats. He emerged as one of the team’s top minor-league performers, hitting .294 with a .400 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage, along with 10 home runs, 35 RBIs, and 41 walks.
Unfortunately, that success didn’t translate to the big leagues. In 11 at-bats with the Phillies, the Millville, NJ native batted just .182 with a .580 OPS, driving in two runs and striking out three times. Despite hitting three home runs and collecting seven RBIs and 10 walks in spring training, his .162 batting average and 11 strikeouts overshadowed the positives.
With only three days to find a trade partner, it remains unclear if the Phillies can move Kennedy. At 26 years old, he could still attract interest from teams hoping he can develop into a reliable MLB contributor. His ability to play all four infield positions and left field adds to his appeal, offering the kind of versatility managers value.
However, given that the Phillies initially acquired Kennedy for cash considerations, fans shouldn’t expect a significant return if a trade happens.
Meanwhile, the spotlight now falls on Clemens to justify Philadelphia’s decision to keep him over Kennedy. Helping the Phillies contend for a World Series title — with +1000 odds (4th-best) on FanDuel Sportsbook ahead of Opening Day — could go a long way in proving the team made the right call.