{"id":1828,"date":"2023-01-27T18:24:23","date_gmt":"2023-01-28T02:24:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/?p=1828"},"modified":"2023-02-10T17:09:12","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T17:09:12","slug":"rangers-sign-ian-kennedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/2023\/01\/27\/rangers-sign-ian-kennedy\/","title":{"rendered":"Rangers Sign Ian Kennedy to Minors Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Texas Rangers<\/a> are bringing a familiar face back into the fold, as the club has signed right-hander Ian Kennedy<\/a>. The club announced the deal on Thursday afternoon. Presumably, it\u2019ll be a minor league deal for the Boras Corporation client. The 38-year old righty will look to recapture some of his early-2021 success with a second chance with the Rangers.<\/p>\n

Success in 2021<\/h2>\n

Kennedy spent the first half of the 2021 season in a Rangers uniform. Those months were among the best of his past four seasons as a full-time reliever. After securing a spot on the major league roster following an offseason minors deal, Ian Kennedy quickly pitched his way into the closer\u2019s role. He saved 16 games through 32 appearances while posting a 2.51 ERA over 32 1\/3 frames. At that summer\u2019s trade deadline, the then-rebuilding Rangers packaged Kennedy with veteran starter Kyle Gibson<\/a> to the Phillies for right-hander Spencer Howard<\/a>.<\/p>\n

No Stranger to the Long Ball<\/h2>\n

One thing that has been problematic for Ian Kennedy in recent years has been giving up home runs. The 16-year veteran fanned almost 27% of opponents in a brief stint in 2021 with the Philadelphia Phillies<\/a>, but surrendered a staggering seven homers in 24 innings. In spite of the poor finish, Kennedy was able to secure a $4.75 million deal from the Arizona Diamondbacks<\/a> last winter.<\/p>\n

The 2022 season was Kennedy’s second stint with the Diamondbacks, in which he made 57 appearances. He struggled over that stretch. Kennedy posted a 5.36 ERA over 50 1\/3 innings. He continued to battle the long ball, allowing nearly two home runs per nine innings. His strikeout percentage plummeted to a 19% clip. At season\u2019s end, the D-Backs made the fairly easy decision to buy out a mutual option on his services for 2023.<\/p>\n

Call to the Pen<\/h2>\n

Ian Kennedy made the transition from starter to reliever in 2019. Since making the move, he carries a 4.30 ERA in 190 appearances. Kennedy has shown the ability to miss bats at an above-average rate while throwing a decent number of strikes at his best. Kennedy was well-received by the fans during his time in Arlington. It will be interesting to see how he fares in their system in the upcoming 2023 season.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>