» Adam Kennedy

I decided to combine Travis and Jeff’s ideas, just to add to the fun.

Since current Cardinals GM John Mozeliak has not been the team’s GM for very long, I will be having a bit of both Mo and former GM Walt Jocketty. Today…

Best # 5: Adam Kennedy and Kent Bottenfield traded for Jim Edmonds (2000)

One of the best center fielders the Cards have ever had

At the time Jim Edmonds was traded to the Cardinals in 2000, he was a great center fielder. By the time he was done being a Cardinal in 2008, Jim accomplished a lot. In 8 seasons with the team, he played 1,105 games, had 3,968 at bats, and hit 241 home runs. Jim had his best season with the Redbirds in 2004, in which he hit .301, had 42 home runs and knocked in 111. Jimmy Baseball also made one of his most memorable catches that season, in which he robbed Jason LaRue of a home run in center (I was at that game and had a great view of that catch, and it is still the best I’ve seen to this day).

Worst # 5: Signing Adam Kennedy and his second stint with the team (2007)

Not so good the 2nd time around.

Adam Kennedy had once been a good prospect for the Cardinals when they traded him for Jim Edmonds in 2000.  Adam spent 6 years in Anaheim, winning a World Series with the team in 2002. When Kennedy returned to St. Louis in 2007, fans were hoping that he would be what he had been in prior years. And oh boy, were they wrong! Kennedy had a miserable year in 2007, batting just .219 (hitting 61 times in 279 at bats) while hitting only 3 home runs and knocking in 18 (all in 87 games). It was arguably the worst year of his career. He was slightly better in 2008, hitting .280, hitting 2 long balls and 36 RBIs. Kennedy was good defensively, but he is arguably coming off the worst offensive years in his career. The Cardinals cut him just a short while ago, and he recently signed with Tampa Bay on a minor league deal.

Just five days before the opening of Spring Training, second baseman Adam Kennedy was granted by the Cardinals his unconditional release last Monday, making it the Franchise’s most daring move of the off season, and they are still required to pay Kennedy for the remainder of his contract.

Kennedy is now eligible to sign with any team he wishes. In a usual scenario, any released player who signs with another club, it is the role of the new team to pay the said player the Major League minimum, and the original team fills in the slot for the rest of the contract. Kennedy is allocated $4 million in 2009 for his last season of a three year contract with the Cardinals.

Kennedy batted .280 with a .321 on base percentage and a .372 slugging percentage last year and sensing that his playing time was being cut, requested to be traded. Unable to work out a deal, the Cardinals held Kennedy until Monday.

“I tried to exhaust the trade market,” General Manager John Mozeliak said. “We thought we might have something happening that really came to an end this weekend. At that point it was just time. It was more fair for both parties to do it now than wait a couple weeks.”

The Cardinals are now facing to fill the spot Kennedy had left them. With no real favorite to man the second base, the potentials in which the Cardinals would be having are Brian Barden, Brendan Ryan, outfielder Skip Schumaker and Joe Thurston.
Other options for the Cadrinals are free agents Orlando Hudson, Ray Durham and former Cardinals player Mark Grudzielanek.

“Right now, we’re going to go with what we have,” Mozeliak said. “We would like to do this internally if we could, and we do have confidence that we can.”
On the lighter side though, if outfielder Skip Schumaker shows his qualifications playing second base, it could clear the Cardinals’ way for top priority Colby Rasmus to suit up for Opening Day.

Manager Tony La Russa was consulted in lieu with the Kennedy scenario, and was in favor of releasing Kennedy. The General Manager also stated that (the move) is a key point in order to make sure that everyone on the roster is on the same track.
“It was something that Tony and I have talked about the last few weeks in trying to put our best foot forward with our team,” Mozeliak said.
“I do think this was an opportunity to inject some energy into that position and really show that we are moving this club in a newer direction.”