Former Phillies reliever Ian Kennedy weighs in on MLB labor negotiations
For former Philadelphia Phillies reliever Ian Kennedy and other free agents, the MLB lockout has added a thick layer of uncertainty to the offseason.
In a normal offseason – which hasn’t really happened since 2018-2019 – Spring Training games would already be underway. Instead, players on their teams’ 40-man rosters cannot even report to club facilities
On Monday, as MLB’s self-imposed deadline loomed, Kennedy shared this post to his Instagram story.
Ian Kennedy weighs in on IG, too pic.twitter.com/EGtWHv5SAJ
— PHILLIES TBOH (@FS_TBOH) February 28, 2022
When the Phillies acquired Ian Kennedy at the 2021 trade deadline, he was having a stellar season. The veteran righty had a 2.51 ERA over 32 appearances with the Texas Rangers. He’d finished 25 games and earned 16 saves.
By comparison, by June 29, the Phillies had blown 21 saves, including seven in their last six games. Trading for Kennedy, as well as Kyle Gibson to bolster the rotation, and top pitching prospect Hans Crouse, was a logical solution. They gave up the struggling Spencer Howard and two low-level prospects.
Unfortunately for the Phillies, Kennedy struggled post-trade. Whereas he had a 2.51 ERA before the trade, he posted a 4.13 ERA over 23 games with the Phillies. As the Phillies’ replacement for a struggling Hector Neris, Kennedy finished 19 games and earned 10 saves.
Kennedy wasn’t terrible, but he wasn’t lights-out, either. He allowed more earned runs, home runs, and issued more walks in fewer games with the Phillies than he had with the Rangers, and struck out fewer batters.
The 37-year-old became a free agent when the season ended, and it’s almost guaranteed he won’t be back in a Phillies uniform. After tying the MLB record of 34 blown saves in a single season, the Phillies let most of their bullpen go. Ahead of the lockout, they claimed Kent Emanuel off waivers from the Houston Astros and signed Corey Knebel to a pricey one-year deal.
Throughout the lockout, many current and former Phillies have been vocal on social media, empathizing with fans, and making it clear that they want to play. Kennedy joined those ranks on Monday, but where he will play in 2022 remains to be seen.