This may seem like a radical move, but I believe it would be the smart thing to do for the Phillies. There is obviously some risk involved, because Kendrick proved to be a valuable fifth starter the first year or so with the Phillies, but he lost confidence in the second half of last year and was left off the postseason roster. He has really struggled this spring, and I am not sure that he is capable of succeeding, at least not with the Phillies. Since the Phillies seem to have a log jam at that position, it would make sense to trade Kendrick and get what they can for him.
Yes, it would put more pressure on J.A. Haap, but don’t forget, you have Chan Ho Park and Carrasco as backup options if Haap cannot fulfill the fifth starter role successfully. Also, I think you could get some value for Kendrick right now. There are still teams out there that are looking for a fifth starter, and they could use a guy like Kendrick who is very serviceable and can fulfill that role. Since the Phillies are already set at the major league level, and they always talk about how they want to improve their minor league depth, which is relatively weak right now, it may make sense to trade Kendrick for a few prospects who can help you down the road. That is just my opinion though. Please share with me on my blog and let me know if you agree or disagree and I will respond to your comments.
Look for a series of position-by-position comparisons in the N.L. East coming up next on the Phillies blog.
Topics: Carlos Carrasco, Chan Ho Park, J.A. Haap, Kyle Kendrick
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[...] Kendrick…should he stay or should he go? [Baseball Digest] [...]
Always a risk to trade a young starting pitcher but I agree that the Phillies would be dealing from a position of strength. They seem to be deep at the fifth stater’s spot. On the other hand, it is highly unusal for a team to go through an entire season with fewer than 7 or 8 or 9 different starters. May be better to keep Kendrick as insurance as it is a long season. As much as the phillies starters were durable last year, the strain of all those extra innings may show up this year. I would keep Kendrick.
If the Phillies need some paper clips then they should trade Kendrick. That is about all they will get for him.
Josh, I like your take on this, considering your knowledge of the minors and the continuing decline of Kendrick in a Phillies uniform. He has a great chance to right his career path, I just don’t see it happening in Philadelphia. What teams do you think would have serious interest in Kendrick? I’d really like to hear your opinion on this before the Phillies come back to South Philly.