Infielder Buddy Kennedy is sticking with the Phillies after being designated for assignment last week. The Phils announced that he went unclaimed on waivers. Kennedy elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment but promptly re-signed with Philadelphia on a minor league contract. He’ll head to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Kennedy landed in Philadelphia last June in a DFA trade with the Tigers. He appeared eight times in the big leagues, going 2-11 with a couple walks. Kennedy played very well with the IronPigs, hitting .294/.400/.500 with 10 homers and nearly as many walks as strikeouts across 67 games. He held his 40-man roster spot all winter but entered a crucial Spring Training. Kennedy is out of options, so he needed to break camp or go on waivers.

The 26-year-old’s spring numbers weren’t good. Kennedy hit .150 over 22 exhibition games. He connected on three homers with a solid 10:12 walk-to-strikeout ratio, but he only managed six hits in 40 at-bats. The Phils opted for Edmundo Sosa and Kody Clemens, each of whom was also out of options, as their backup infielders.

No other team was willing to carry Kennedy on the major league roster. This is his second career outright, which gave him the ability to elect free agency. He chose that path but only to rework his deal with the Phils. It’s relatively common for players to do that, as it’s possible the new contract contains a different minor league salary or opt-out chances that he would not have gotten had he simply accepted the outright assignment. The former fifth-round pick returns to Triple-A, where he has a .281/.392/.435 slash in 300 career games.

​The Philadelphia Phillies have re-signed infielder Buddy Kennedy to a minor league contract. After being designated for assignment on March 27, 2025, Kennedy cleared waivers and elected free agency before promptly rejoining the organization. He will report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. ​That Balls Outta Here+6Section 215+6Instagram+6Athlon Sports+7CBSSports.com+7RotoWire+7That Balls Outta Here+6RotoWire+6CBSSports.com+6

Kennedy joined the Phillies in June 2024 via a trade with the Detroit Tigers. During his tenure with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, he posted a .294 batting average and a .900 OPS, including 10 home runs and 35 RBIs over 67 games. His performance earned him a late-season call-up, during which he appeared in eight major league games. ​That Balls Outta Here+1BVM Sports+1

By re-signing Kennedy, the Phillies retain valuable infield depth within their minor league system. His versatility and prior experience with the organization make him a reliable option should the major league roster require reinforcement during the season.​That Balls Outta Here+1Section 215+1