Ian Kennedy

[ewitkows]

MLBTR link

 

The Diamondbacks have been shopping Jason Kubel and Ian Kennedy, according to Peter Gammons of the MLB Network (on Twitter). Gammons notes that the salary they would save by moving both players still wouldn't be enough to offset the acquisition of Jake Peavy, a favorite of Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers. Both Kubel and Kennedy have struggled in 2013.

 

Kubel, 31, belted 30 homers last year in his first season with the Snakes, but his overall production masked a dreadful second half. Kubel hit .201/.275/.470 following the All-Star break last season, and he's batting just .234/.312/.356 with five homers this season. He's battled a quad injury that has required two trips to the DL this season in the second year of a two-year, $15MM contract he signed in Decmeber 2011. Kubel's deal also contains a mutual option for 2015.

 

Kennedy, 28, has a 5.22 ERA with 7.6 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a 36.2 percent ground-ball rate in 119 innings this season. Each of those represents the worst full-season mark of Kennedy's career, though his primary problem has been struggles with men on base. Kennedy has stranded just 65.9 percent of baserunners this season -- a drastic decline from his career mark of 74.9 percent he carried into this season. Kennedy is earning $4.27MM this season and is controlled through the 2015 season as an arbitration-eligible player.

 

 

Could be a classic buy low candidate. We'd have him for 2 more years and it sounds like AZ just wants a salary dump so we wouldn't have to give anyone up. We'd have a pretty solid starting 4 for next year if he returns to the pitcher he was the last 3 years

[Kelbysdaddy]

I think he'd be worth a shot, but I'm sure people are saying the same thing about gallardo.

[Warning Track Power]

I would entertain picking him up if it didn't cost much. This would be a good opportunity to trade a piece like Axford for him if AZ is looking for bullpen help. Salary is close to a wash and both teams would be dealing from a position of strength for a position of weakness. I like this.

[nate82]

I would entertain picking him up if it didn't cost much. This would be a good opportunity to trade a piece like Axford for him if AZ is looking for bullpen help. Salary is close to a wash and both teams would be dealing from a position of strength for a position of weakness. I like this.

 

Unless you want to be paying all of Axford's salary plus a prospect for Kennedy then yeah Axford makes sense here.

[Warning Track Power]

Why am I having to pay Axford's salary? Kennedy $4.27 vs Axford $5.0. Like I said in my previous post, I am only doing it if its a change of scenery type deal that didn't cost much.

[nate82]

Why am I having to pay Axford's salary? Kennedy $4.27 vs Axford $5.0. Like I said in my previous post, I am only doing it if its a change of scenery type deal that didn't cost much.

 

Because Axford is an overpaid relief pitcher and Kennedy is a reasonably paid starting pitcher. Kennedy has more value than Axford does which is why you would have to pay all of Axford's salary in order to get Kennedy in a deal involving Axford. The Dbacks are trying to shed some payroll not add more.

[LouisEly]

Heath Bell has a 2015 option year of $9M that could become guaranteed based on performance (likely games finished), so acquiring Axford, who would be under Arizona control for 2014 and their closer instead of Bell, could save Arizona $9M in 2015. Axford has a lot more value to Arizona than you think.

[brewcrewdue80]

Why am I having to pay Axford's salary? Kennedy $4.27 vs Axford $5.0. Like I said in my previous post, I am only doing it if its a change of scenery type deal that didn't cost much.

 

Because Axford is an overpaid relief pitcher and Kennedy is a reasonably paid starting pitcher. Kennedy has more value than Axford does which is why you would have to pay all of Axford's salary in order to get Kennedy in a deal involving Axford. The Dbacks are trying to shed some payroll not add more.

 

What's more likely to happen next season in Arb though? Unless Axford takes on a closer roll for a team his salary likely stay below 7mil next season. Meanwhile Kennedy's even with his uninspiring salary this season, I'd say he takes a bump in salary over 7mil in Arb. Only on the fact that he's looking to have 30+Starts a season now 4 straight years. How's 7mil+ reasonable for a guy who's going to be 29 with that many IP on his arm and showing quite a decline in numbers over the last 2 seasons to the point where he's just a #5 on a team?(3) on Milwaukee's lol.

[nate82]

Axford should get at least $7m next year which is in the DFA category for non closing relief pitchers. While Kennedy will still have value next year even at $7-9m.

[endaround]

Axford should get at least $7m next year which is in the DFA category for non closing relief pitchers. While Kennedy will still have value next year even at $7-9m.

Based on what? The Brewers won't pay that and neither will any other team. So Axford will sign for less.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Axford should get at least $7m next year which is in the DFA category for non closing relief pitchers. While Kennedy will still have value next year even at $7-9m.

Based on what? The Brewers won't pay that and neither will any other team. So Axford will sign for less.

 

Yeah, Axford will be a good candidate to just settle and not go to arbitration. The Brewers would threaten a non-tender to get him to lower his price. He'll still likely be pretty overpaid for his role though.

[nate82]

Axford should get at least $7m next year which is in the DFA category for non closing relief pitchers. While Kennedy will still have value next year even at $7-9m.

Based on what? The Brewers won't pay that and neither will any other team. So Axford will sign for less.

 

Based on every year that a non closer relief pitcher that gets released when they get this close to this kind of money. It would make zero sense for the Dbacks to trade Kennedy for Axford because of this. The Brewers will more than likely release Axford this offseason than pay him the arbitration he would get. Why trade someone who actually has value for a negative value?

[ewitkows]

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/07/padres-to-acquire-ian-kennedy.html

 

The Padres have bolstered their rotation for the present and future, acquiring righty Ian Kennedy from the division rival Diamondbacks for lefty reliever Joe Thatcher, Double-A reliever Matt Stites, and a compensation round B draft pick, according to a tweet from MLB.com's Corey Brock. It's a surprisingly light haul for Kennedy, a 28-year-old who is under team control through 2015 as an arbitration eligible player.

 

Drafted 21st overall by the Yankees in '06, Kennedy joined Arizona in the December 2009 three-team trade with the Yanks and Tigers, at a time when Josh Byrnes was the Diamondbacks' GM. Byrnes was fired the following year and later landed the GM job in San Diego, while Kevin Towers took over for Arizona. Clearly, Byrnes has an affinity for Kennedy, who tossed 624 1/3 regular season innings from 2010-12 with a 3.55 ERA. Kennedy's walk rate worsened this year, en route to a 5.23 ERA in 124 frames. His skills suggest something closer to 4.00 moving forward. Kennedy scored a near-record $4.265MM salary for 2013, his first arbitration year, and MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a mild raise to the $5.9MM range for 2014.

 

Thatcher is a useful left-handed specialist who joined the Padres in a July 2007 trade brokered by Towers. The 31-year-old has a 2.10 ERA, 8.7 K/9, 1.2 BB/9, 0.90 HR/9, and 42.4% groundball rate in 30 innings this year. He's faced 70 lefty batters and held them to a .212/.257/.231 line. Earning $1.35MM this year, Thatcher is under team control through 2014 as an arbitration eligible player.

 

 

I would have given up Gonzalez and a AA reliever and a pick for him. We could have set up our rotation nicely for next year

[Warning Track Power]

Wow...what an amazingly light haul for Kennedy. Certainly the Brewers could have put something together that would have topped this. Kennedy was a great buy low candidate that wouldn't have cost much in prospects or in $.

[craigharmann]

Probably at best what the offers for Yo would be.