Mariners acquire in trade with Giants

The Seattle Mariners made their first move ahead of the trade deadline on Sunday, acquiring infielder Buddy Kennedy from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for cash considerations. Seattle already had an open spot on its 40-man roster, allowing Kennedy to be added immediately after the deal.

The 27-year-old right-handed hitter was designated for assignment by San Francisco earlier Sunday when outfielder Heliot Ramos returned from the injured list. Kennedy had appeared in seven major league games for the Giants this season, going hitless in seven at-bats across eight plate appearances after having his contract selected on June 1.

Although Kennedy has slumped in the majors, he has been one of Triple-A Sacramento’s top performers in 2026. In 48 games, he batted .321 (59-for-184) with 15 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 33 RBIs, 27 walks and five stolen bases while posting a .424 on-base percentage, .543 slugging percentage and .967 OPS. His advanced metrics were also solid, including a 152 wRC+, a 78th-percentile expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA), nearly identical 12.6% strikeout and 12.1% walk rates, and a low whiff rate.

Kennedy has played parts of five major league seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Giants. Across 74 career MLB games and 189 plate appearances, he owns a .171 batting average with five doubles, two triples, two home runs, 20 RBIs and 19 walks.

Defensively, Kennedy offers versatility, having played first, second and third base, while also seeing time in left field and even shortstop in limited situations. He also made one pitching appearance for San Francisco this season, allowing four earned runs in one inning.

Originally selected by Arizona in the fifth round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of Millville Senior High School in New Jersey, Kennedy is the grandson of former major league infielder Don Money.

The Mariners view him as additional right-handed infield depth and a complement to its left-handed-heavy infield group, with Kennedy expected to provide organizational depth, likely beginning with Triple-A Tacoma.

The post Mariners acquire in trade with Giants appeared first on ClutchPoints.