DETROIT – The Detroit Tigers added a new infielder on Thursday, and it’s clear why they wanted him on the roster.
Detroit claimed Buddy Kennedy off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals and designated Andre Lipcius for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
Kennedy, 25, has only played in 40 MLB games, and he hasn’t been very successful. But throughout his minor-league career, Kennedy has done one thing consistently, and it’s something Tigers president Scott Harris values very much.
Kennedy can draw walks.
In 101 games at Triple-A last season -- with the Oakland A’s and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations -- Kennedy drew 76 walks compared to just 81 strikeouts. That resulted in a .432 on-base percentage.
What did Harris say he wanted to do when he took over the Tigers? Dominate the strike zone. That’s why we’ve seen him add so many players with Kennedy’s profile.
Kennedy doesn’t have much over-the-fence power -- just 45 home runs in 498 career minor-league games. But he made up for that last season with 76 walks and 115 hits -- including 24 doubles, eight triples, and five homers.
He’s a right-handed hitter with experience playing both second base and third base.
Lipcius, 25, was Detroit’s third-round pick in 2019, and he made his MLB debut last season, slashing .286/.342/.400 with a homer in 13 games. He’s been very similar to Kennedy in the minors, posting high walk rates and OBPs without much power.
Kennedy was selected off waivers by Oakland in September, and then by St. Louis in October. He was designated by the Cardinals after they signed veteran shortstop Brandon Crawford.
