The Giants keep finding room for Buddy Kennedy, and that decision is getting harder to explain with each passing day.
Kennedy, 27, has now had two separate stints with San Francisco this season, and the results have been empty. He has gone hitless in 18 at-bats with the Giants, and during a short run with the Seattle Mariners he managed one hit in 10 at-bats.
That follows a rough 2023 season in which he posted a .069/.156/.103 slash line in 32 plate appearances across three different teams. Since 2022, he has already suited up for seven major league clubs.
That kind of track record might normally close the door. Instead, Kennedy keeps getting another turn.
The latest roster move only sharpened the question. On Friday, the Giants brought up outfielders Jonah Cox and Turner Hill while sending down Grant McCray and Nate Furman. McCray’s move was understandable given his struggles, but Furman’s demotion - after only eight plate appearances - stood out because Kennedy stayed put.
There’s not much reason to believe Kennedy has a real path forward in San Francisco. The infield spots are already occupied, and he hasn’t shown anything that suggests he can carve out a useful role off the bench. The bat hasn’t been a strength, and even his speed is unclear because he hasn’t been on the bases enough to make it a factor.
Furman, meanwhile, at least offers something worth exploring. He’s not a guaranteed long-term answer either, with Christian Koss and Osleivis Basabe apparently ahead of him for now, but this is exactly the kind of season when a team can afford to take a look.
The Giants are battered, the year is lost, and Furman has hit .284/.370/.405 at Triple-A Sacramento. He’s 25, and there’s a case for giving him a shot at second base, with Basabe sliding to shortstop or third, or even Furman handling third himself.
Instead, Kennedy keeps drawing the at-bats.
Maybe that changes soon. Maybe the Giants cut him and call up Parks Harber, though that could be complicated, or another player from Triple-A. For now, though, every Kennedy plate appearance feels like one the Giants could have spent somewhere else.
In Other News...
Giants Quietly Added A Pitching Prospect Fans Need To Notice
MLB Pipelines updated top-100 prospects list after the draft and trade deadline gave the Giants another marker of how much talent is starting to collect in the system. San Francisco now has five names on the list, with Josuar Gonzalez still leading the way at No. 17, and the newest addition is a pitcher whose work in the minors has been hard to ignore this season.
The climb matters because this was not a prospect who simply appeared out of nowhere. His path to the Giants came in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies that also brought Luis Arrez, Caleb Kilian and Marty Gair into the same deal, and the organization has clearly liked what it has seen since. For a farm system that already has some headline pieces, the latest update suggests there may be another arm worth keeping close tabs on as the rest of the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Chapman Just Gave Giants Fans Real Reason For Hope
Matt Chapmans season ended the hard way, with the Giants All-Star third baseman going on the 60-day injured list because of a core muscle injury that required surgery. For a San Francisco club that has leaned on Chapmans steadiness and power at the hot corner, losing him leaves a real gap, especially with the injury coming late enough to shut the book on his year.
The part that gave Giants fans something to hold onto came after the procedure, when manager Tony Vitello sounded upbeat about Chapmans recovery and eventual return. There is still a long runway before anyone starts talking about game action again, but the early sense around the club is that Chapmans outlook is far better than the season-ending label might first suggest, with the Giants already looking ahead to getting him back in 2027. [Read more 🡒]