The Phillies have found one of the veteran bats Pete Mackanin called for in 2016, acquiring 2B/LF Howie Kendrick from the Dodgers in exchange for 1B Darin Ruf and utilityman Darnell Sweeney.
Mackanin said several times last season that he wanted the Phillies to add a veteran, professional hitter to lengthen the lineup and take pressure off some of their young players.
Kendrick, 33, fits that description. He's a .289 career hitter who can play multiple positions and bat second or sixth. He's never been a big home run hitter — his career high was 18 in 2011, his lone All-Star season — but should be capable of hitting 12 to 15 playing half his games at Citizens Bank Park.
"There may not be a more professional hitter than Howie Kendrick. He’s the definition of a professional hitter," GM Matt Klentak said Friday. "He’s been steady his entire career. He’s one of the hardest working guys in the league and he can hit anywhere in the lineup and be productive. Pete and I have spoken over the past several months. This is the type of player that we really wanted to add to our lineup. I think Howie is going to have a legitimate impact on our young group."
Kendrick is a second baseman by trade, but he played 94 games in left field for the Dodgers in 2016. With the Phillies, he could play either spot, manning second base if Cesar Hernandez is traded or playing left field if Hernandez stays.
"With the caveat that things could change as the offseason progresses, the plan right now is that Howie Kendrick will be our everyday leftfielder," Klentak said. "But for a young roster, especially with us likely to add many young players to our 40-man roster, having a player on the 25-man who has the ability to play left field, first base, second base, third base, really does provide Pete with a lot of flexibility from a game to game basis. And that’s something just in terms of general roster management is going to be very important to us this year. And Howie Kendrick can play all of those positions. The versatility that the brings to our team is a huge benefit."
Kendrick had a down year in 2016, hitting .255/.326/.366 as the Dodgers moved him all over the diamond. Coming to a hitter-friendly ballpark and playing a more stable role, Kendrick is a good candidate to bounce back in his contract year.
"A lot of the underlying more advanced statistics would suggest he got a bit unlucky last year," Klentak said. "He’s still very good at squaring up the baseball and making solid contact. I think the fact that we will commit regular playing time to him will allow him to be more comfortable from game to game."
Kendrick will earn $10 million in 2017, the final year of his deal. He wanted out of L.A. and the Dodgers wanted to clear up some payroll space to try to re-sign third baseman Justin Turner, closer Kenley Jansen and starting pitcher Rich Hill.
The Phillies gave up little in this trade, parting with only Ruf and Sweeney, two non-prospects who didn't have much of a future here. The Phillies' getting anything of value for either player is a win.
Kendrick was a highly thought-of infielder as he progressed through the Angels' system, armed with a sweet right-handed swing and a solid glove. From 2007 to 2015, he hit .290 or better six times.
He instantly becomes the Phillie most likely to approach .300 in 2017, which says something about his consistency over 11 big-league seasons and the Phils' lack of offense.
The Phillies finished last in the majors in runs scored in 2016 and second-to-last in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, so even though Kendrick is 33 and likely a short-term fit, his bat will be welcomed.
Sweeney, 25, was acquired by the Phillies from the Dodgers in August 2015 for Chase Utley. He struggled in the majors at the end of 2015 and at Triple A in 2016.
Ruf, now 30, was never able to find his footing with the Phillies. Rarely did he receive regular playing time, but he also didn't do much to earn an everyday job the way that, say, Tommy Joseph did this past season. Ruf ends his Phillies career with a .240/.314/.433 batting line, 35 homers and 96 RBIs in 833 plate appearances. In L.A., he has a chance to latch on as a right-handed bench bat, although he's long struggled as a pinch-hitter.
"I think we all were hopeful that that the 2016 season would have been different for Darin," Klentak said. "Really after the first month after he was sent down he put up a pretty typical Darin Ruf year where he demonstrated power and hit left-handed pitching. He’s still a good hitter. Sometimes you have to give something to get something. I’m happy for Darin that there’s a new opportunity for him. Hopefully he’ll be able to turn the page and get a fresh start with the Dodgers."