Opening Day for the 2025 MLB season is almost here, leaving the Philadelphia Phillies with limited time to finalize their initial roster. Rob Thomson's club entered Monday with one bench role remaining after a slew of weekend moves, leaving time to tell if it'd be Kody Clemens or Buddy Kennedy who land the final spot.
The Phillies have since revealed which of the duo has made the Opening Day roster, which will likely spell the end for the other's time in Philadelphia.
Phillies Rumors: Buddy Kennedy on Trade Block After Kody Clemens Makes Opening Day Roster
On Monday morning, Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski told reporters that Clemens "will make the team." The pre-Opening Day decision means that Kennedy won't be making the team and Philadelphia will attempt to trade him by Thursday's roster deadline.
Kody Clemens has made the Phillies as their 26th man. The team has drawn trade interest in Buddy Kennedy, Dave Dombrowski said, and will try to get him to a club. If not, he’ll be DFA’d on Thursday.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) March 24, 2025
A former 2017 Arizona Diamondbacks fifth-round pick, Kennedy has struggled to hold on to an MLB job throughout his career. He's played with three different franchises since the start of the 2022 campaign and only arrived in the City of Brotherly Love last June when the Phillies acquired him from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for cash considerations.
Kennedy spent most of his time with Triple-A Lehigh Valley following the trade, tallying 248 at-bats across 67 games. He performed as one of the organization's best minor-leaguers during his stint, racking up 10 home runs, 35 RBIs, and 41 walks while slashing .294/.400/.500.
Unfortunately, the Millville, NJ native couldn't find similar success in the big leagues. Kennedy only batted .182 with a .580 OPS in 11 ABs with the Phillies, mustering just two RBIs while striking out three times. Although he managed to tally three home runs, seven RBIs, and 10 walks during spring training, his .162 BA and 11 strikeouts nullified any goodwill he created.
It remains to be seen if the Phillies can find a trade partner for Kennedy within the next three days.
Even though his struggles at the plate can't be ignored, he's only 26 years old, so it wouldn't be shocking if a desperate suitor is convinced that he's young enough to develop into an MLB contributor. He also has experience playing all four infield positions and left field, which is the type of versatility managers crave.
Having said that, the fact that the Phillies initially acquired him for cash considerations means fans shouldn't expect a big return in a potential trade.
In the meantime, it'll be up to Clemens to prove that Philadelphia made the right decision to keep him over Kennedy. One way he can do that is by helping the Phillies capitalize on their 2025 World Series odds, which currently sit at +1000 (4th) on FanDuel Sportsbook ahead of Opening Day.
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