The Los Angeles Dodgers’ excellent organizational depth took the slightest of hits on Friday.
Earlier this week, the Dodgers designated infielder Buddy Kennedy for assignment, only 10 days after claiming him off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays. But Kennedy cleared waivers, briefly creating the possibility that the Dodgers would be able to retain him.
However, according to the official transactions log, Kennedy elected free agency on Thursday. He was afforded that right despite having less than five years of service time because he had already been designated for assignment earlier this year.
He’s now a free agent, available for any team to sign and potentially even add to their playoff roster if he joins the organization by Saturday night at 11:59 p.m. EDT.
Kennedy, 26, wound up playing just seven games in a Dodgers uniform, and the results weren’t pretty. He went 1-for-17 (.059) without an extra-base hit, striking out five times.
In parts of four major league seasons, Kennedy has batted .174 with an OPS of .545, playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Blue Jays, and Dodgers. He was a fifth-round pick for Arizona in the 2017 draft.
While all depth is good to some degree, it’s hard to imagine the Dodgers regret losing Kennedy all that much, as they currently have Max Muncy, Tommy Edman, and Hyeseong Kim close to returning from the injured list.
As for Kennedy, while his production in the majors isn’t much to speak of so far, his ability to play any infield position except shortstop and solid production at Triple-A (.817 OPS across four seasons) might be worth a look for another organization.
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