The Giants have claimed infielder Buddy Kennedy off waivers from the Mariners, according to announcements from both teams. Seattle designated Kennedy for assignment last week. The Giants also announced that they’ve transferred left-hander Matt Gage to the 60-day injured list, clearing a 40-man roster spot for Kennedy.
It’s a reunion between San Francisco and Kennedy. The 27-year-old had been in the Giants organization since inking a minor league deal in December. They selected Kennedy’s contract on June 1st, though he only took eight plate appearances before being designated for assignment. He was then dealt to Seattle in exchange for cash considerations, and similarly, he only had 11 plate appearances with his new club. All told, Kennedy is batting just .059/.158/.118 in the majors this year.
The poor output in a limited sample is in line with how Kennedy’s career has gone. Since debuting for the Diamondbacks in 2022, he has batted .167/.260/.259 in 200 plate appearances while grading out 52% worse than league average by wRC+. He’s mostly played second and third base in that time, though his defensive grades are unremarkable. In contrast, Kennedy has been quite productive at Triple-A this year. In 218 plate appearances there, he’s batting .321/.424/.543 with a 152 wRC+ and matching 12.4% strikeout and walk rates.
More to come.