Cardinals claim infielder Buddy Kennedy from Oakland

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - It’s among not the major moves Cardinals fans are seeking from this pivotal baseball off-season, but St. Louis did announce a transaction Wednesday to whet the appetite.

The Cardinals have claimed Buddy Kennedy from the Oakland Athletics, adding another infielder to the 40-man roster at the outset of the winter.

Kennedy began the season with the National League champions in Arizona, going 4-for-24 with the D-backs in limited opportunities this year. Arizona designated Kennedy for assignment in September, at which point he was claimed by the Athletics. Oakland cast Kennedy aside this week, leading the Cardinals to swoop in with a claim.

The 2017 fifth-round draft pick has a lifetime .206 batting average across 107 big-league at-bats but posted solid numbers between the Triple-A affiliates for the Diamondbacks and Athletics in 2023. Kennedy, 25, finished the year with a Triple-A slash line of .308/.432/.455 and a .887 OPS.

Kennedy attended Millville Senior High School, which also produced Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout.

The Cardinals are deep with infield talent in the upper levels of the organization, but speculation on a potential trade for pitching help suggests MLB-ready infielders could be involved if St. Louis takes that route toward restocking its rotation. While Kennedy likely represents more of an organizational depth piece than a future difference-maker, he possesses the type of on-base ability and defensive flexibility the Cardinals often seem to covet.