Phillies trade Howie Kendrick to Nationals for lefty prospect, slot money
By John Town
The Phillies continued their deadline activity, sending Howie Kendrick to the Nationals in exchange for left-handed prospect McKenzie Mills.
After speculating for half the season who the Phillies might trade Howie Kendrick to, that question has finally been answered. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has reported that Kendrick has been traded to the Nationals. The news has since been confirmed by the team.
In exchange for Kendrick, the Nationals will send 21-year-old left-handed pitching prospect McKenzie Mills and international slot money to the Phils.
Mills was Washington’s 18th-round pick in 2014 at No. 544 overall. MLB.com ranks Mills as Washington’s 18th-best prospect. He profiles as a back-end starter with a repeatable delivery, low-90s fastball, and above-average curveball.
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This year in Low-A with the Hagerstown Suns, Mills has a 3.01 ERA, 28.4 percent strikeout rate, 0.95 WHIP and 12-2 record in 18 starts. He has logged 104.2 innings this season and was just promoted to High-A Potomac Thursday before the trade.
Mills could finish out the year in Low-A with the recently-sold Lakewood BlueClaws, but since Washington just promoted him, it’s likely he’ll go to High-A Clearwater.
Philadelphia also received an undisclosed amount of international slot money, which they can use to acquire even more players in the international market next year. Considering the bevy of talent they have received from international signees, this could prove dividends in the future.
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Part of the deal involves Washington receiving cash from Philadelphia, which will pay almost all of Kendrick’s salary for the rest of the season. Rosenthal reported that Kendrick is owed about $3.55 million for the rest of the season.
When Kendrick has been on the field this season he has been a strong hitter. In 39 games he has a .340/.397/.454 line with a 126 wRC+. He has played left field and second base for the Phils this year and can also play first and third.
The keyword there is if as Kendrick missed time with an abdominal and hamstring strain. He missed six weeks with the first injury and three with the second.
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Kendrick was held out of Friday night’s game as he is still nursing a bruised hand suffered Wednesday. He couldn’t fully swing a bat before the game, but clearly the Nationals aren’t concerned about the injury.