Mariners acquire – Seattle made its first trade-deadline move on Sunday, acquiring infielder Buddy Kennedy from the San Francisco Giants for cash considerations. With an open spot on its 40-man roster, Kennedy was added immediately after the deal.
The Mariners didn’t wait for the calendar to force their hand.
On Sunday, Seattle made its first move ahead of the trade deadline, 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, which meant Kennedy could be added immediately after the deal was completed.
Kennedy is 27 years old and a right-handed hitter. His return to Seattle came quickly after the Giants moved him around earlier Sunday: San Francisco designated Kennedy for assignment when outfielder Heliot Ramos returned from the injured list.
This season, Kennedy had appeared in seven major league games for the Giants, going hitless in seven at-bats across eight plate appearances after his contract was selected on June 1.
But his reputation in the minors is sharper than his current major-league line suggests. In 48 games for Triple-A Sacramento in 2026, Kennedy batted .321 (59-for-184) with 15 doubles, one triple and eight home runs. He drove in 33 runs, walked 27 times and stole five bases. His on-base percentage sat at .424, his slugging at .543 and his OPS at .967.
The numbers also held up in the advanced look: Kennedy posted a 152 wRC+, an 78th-percentile expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA), and strikeout and walk rates that were nearly identical at 12.6% and 12.1%, respectively. He also logged a low whiff rate.
Seattle’s interest tracks with what Kennedy has done across parts of five major league seasons. He has played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers and Giants. Over 74 career MLB games and 189 plate appearances. he has a .171 batting average with five doubles. two triples. two home runs. 20 RBIs and 19 walks.
What the Mariners are also getting is a defender who can shuffle around. Kennedy has played first base, second base and third base, and he has also seen time in left field. In limited situations, he even worked at shortstop.
There’s a rare extra wrinkle in his 2026 résumé, too. He made one pitching appearance for San Francisco this season, allowing four earned runs in one inning.
Seattle’s move is also tied to the kind of pedigree organizations look for when they’re building organizational depth. Kennedy was originally selected by Arizona in the fifth round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of Millville Senior High School in New Jersey. He is the grandson of former major league infielder Don Money.
The Mariners plan for him lines up with that depth-first thinking. They view Kennedy as additional right-handed infield depth and a complement to their left-handed-heavy infield group. His role is expected to begin with Triple-A Tacoma. giving Seattle flexibility while it waits to see whether Kennedy’s Triple-A form can translate back to the majors.
Seattle Mariners Buddy Kennedy San Francisco Giants trade deadline cash considerations 40-man roster Triple-A Sacramento Triple-A Tacoma Heliot Ramos