Top experienced Infielder will remain with the Phillies despite being designated for assignment. The team announced that he cleared waivers unclaimed. Rather than accepting an outright assignment, he chose free agency but quickly re-signed with Philadelphia.
He joined the Phillies last June in a DFA trade with the Tigers. He had a brief stint in the majors, appearing in eight games and going 2-for-11 with two walks. However, he excelled with the IronPigs, posting a .294/.400/.500 slash line with 10 home runs and an impressive walk-to-strikeout ratio over 67 games. He remained on the 40-man roster throughout the offseason but faced a pivotal Spring Training, as he was out of minor league options and needed to make the Opening Day roster or clear waivers.
The 26-year-old struggled in spring action, batting just .150 over 22 games. While he hit three home runs and had a solid 10:12 walk-to-strikeout ratio, he recorded only six hits in 40 at-bats. The Phillies instead opted for Edmundo Sosa and Kody Clemens—both also out of options—as their backup infielders.
With no other team willing to claim him for a major league roster spot, Kennedy cleared waivers for the second time in his career, allowing him to elect free agency. He took that option but ultimately restructured his deal with the Phillies. This is a common move, as the new contract may include a different minor league salary or opt-out clauses that weren’t available under an outright assignment. The former fifth-round pick returns to Triple-A, where he has a career .281/.392/.435 slash line over 300 games.