Adam Kennedy Joins the Fold

So, this news is a few days old, but anyway, veteran utility infielder Adam Kennedy has been signed to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. Hardly a move that will put the Mariners much closer to an AL West pennant, but a solid move with many potential upsides.

First, it will allow Dustin Ackley time to get seasoned at Triple-A without pushing him to up to the big club. Sure, I'd love nothing more than Ackley to smash his way through Spring Training, set the league on fire and win both the Rookie of the Year and MVP award in his first year, but experience dictates that such possibilities are long shots. There's a better chance that Ackley gets rushed into the M's lineup, starts off at a lackluster pace, and sets himself back, so adding Kennedy lets Ackley start the year in Tacoma, barring a torrid Spring that doesn't allow Ackley to be passed over.

Secondly, Kennedy is a better offensive player than the other infield reserves available to the club. A career .275 hitter, Kennedy had a higher batting average (.249) and on-base (.327) in a down year for the Nationals last year, than Matt Tuiasosopo (.173, .234), Josh Wilson (.227, .278). In fact the only Mariners on the entire roster that had a higher batting average were Chone Figgins, Jack Wilson, Mike Sweeney and Ichiro. Add to mix that Kennedy is a lefty and something a base stealing threat.

Finally, Kennedy adds much needed competition to the infield positions. With Ackley in the minors, Kennedy competes for playing time with Brendan Ryan, Chone Figgins, and Jack Wilson. Kennedy can play 100+ games and with Wilson's health issues, Ryan will probably push Wilson for playing time with Kennedy covering second. However, if there are issues with Figgins, he can also cover 3rd. When Ackley comes up, Kennedy will probably mostly backup 3rd and platoon at 2nd.