Friday, November 11, 2016
PHILLIES ACQUIRE HOWIE KENDRICK FROM DODGERS
The Phillies have acquired outfielder/infielder Howie Kendrick from the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for first baseman Darin Ruf and second baseman Darnell Sweeney, Vice President & General Manager Matt Klentak announced today.
Kendrick, 33, batted .255 with 26 doubles, eight home runs, 40 RBI, a team-leading 10 stolen bases and a .326 on-base percentage this past season. He had five 4-hit games, which was tied for the National League lead. In the field, Kendrick made 123 starts – 79 in left field, 23 at second base, 14 at third base and seven at first base – and made only five errors.
“Howie Kendrick brings a proven, veteran presence to our young lineup,” said Klentak. “He is a hard worker, a great teammate and a true professional hitter. In addition, Howie’s defensive versatility provides significant flexibility to our roster, which should prove to be valuable to our club in 2017. I am very pleased to welcome Howie to the Phillies.”
A 2011 American League All-Star, Kendrick is a career .289 hitter with 297 doubles, 34 triples, 95 home runs, 595 RBI, 111 stolen bases and a .332 on-base percentage in 1,344 games for the Los Angeles Angels (2006-14) and Dodgers (2015-16). He was selected by the Angels in the 10th round of the 2002 draft.
Ruf, 30, appeared in 43 games (17 starts) for the Phillies last season and hit .205 with three home runs and nine RBI. Originally selected by the Phillies in the 20th round of the 2009 draft, Ruf has batted .240 with 35 home runs and a .433 slugging percentage in 286 career major league games.
The 25-year-old Sweeney spent the entire 2016 season with triple-A Lehigh Valley. In 118 games, he batted .233 with six home runs, 35 RBI and 12 stolen bases. Sweeney, who was a 13th-round selection by the Dodgers in the 2012 draft, appeared in games at second base, third base, shortstop and center field for the IronPigs.
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Press Releases provided courtesy of the Phillies, Media Relations. Thanks, guys!
