Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Buddy Kennedy plays waiting game ahead of Rule 5 draft

In a normal year, a minor league prospect who is not on the 40-man roster would arrive at spring training with some degree of confidence about what team he will play for in the upcoming season.

This is not a normal year, not with baseball embroiled in a labor dispute — and it has left players such as third baseman Buddy Kennedy in a strange situation.

In November, Kennedy was left off the 40-man roster, exposing him to the Rule 5 draft. Most years, the draft takes place in December. With the sport still in a lockout, the draft has not yet occurred, though it is expected to once a new collective bargaining agreement is reached.

“Baseball is an interesting game in every way,” Kennedy said Monday after a day of work at minor league minicamp. “Obviously, it’s not in my hands. As of right now, I’m still with the Diamondbacks and we’ll see what happens.”

Kennedy is a fairly well-regarded prospect, a former fifth-round pick who last year posted a .907 OPS between High-A and Double-A. He is not without his flaws. His defense, in particular, has long been a concern.

Still, some evaluators believe he might hit enough to have a place on a major league roster. Last season, Kennedy established a career high with 22 home runs, hitting a combined .290 with a solid 12.3 percent walk rate.

Kennedy admitted that when he first started in pro ball, the game seemed to be moving “really fast” when he was in the field. But he said he has grown more comfortable defensively with each progressive season.

“For me, it’s about being as consistent as possible (on defense),” he said. “I know my bat can play at the big league level. I’ve just got to make the routine plays.”

For now, Kennedy said he is trying to focus on getting better rather than on where he might land once the lockout ends.

“I’m just trying not to think about it,” he said. “I’ll let it do its own thing. I’m focusing on baseball and focusing on defense and my at-bats and whatever I can do to help and get ready for the season.”

Free and easy

Though Slade Cecconi’s first full season as a pro didn’t deliver on expectations, the Diamondbacks right-hander sounded a confident note when speaking to reporters on Monday.

“I plan to have my electric stuff this year,” he said. “I plan to prove any doubts wrong. I plan to go out there and be the pitcher that I know I am and know I should be.”

Two years ago, Cecconi was the talk of the Diamondbacks’ fall instructional league. After being taken 33rd overall in the 2020 draft, he arrived with a mid-to-upper 90s fastball and a wipeout slider. He looked like arguably the club’s best pitching prospect, someone with a chance to develop into a frontline starter.

He wasn’t able to carry that dominant stuff into last season, however, sitting closer to 93 mph with less sharp secondary offerings. He logged a 4.12 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 59 innings at High-A.

Cecconi said he took a lot out of last year in terms of learning how to prepare and maintain his body for a long season. Part of that, he said, was staying disciplined to a routine, including managing his sleep habits and diet more rigorously.

He said he can feel the difference this year — and that includes the way the ball is coming out of his hand.

“(It’s coming out) really, really good,” he said. “I haven’t really let any go yet because I’m just getting into (live batting practice sessions) now. But I’ve been 92-94 (mph), free and easy, for the last two weeks. I’ve got my first live (on Tuesday), so I’m definitely going to get after it a little bit.”

Reach Piecoro at (602) 444-8680 or nick.piecoro@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickpiecoro.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: D-Backs prospect Buddy Kennedy plays waiting game ahead of Rule 5 draft