Cardinals Acquire Young Infielder To Bolster Position Player Depth

The St. Louis Cardinals have had to watch a slew of their former players shine on the postseason stage, most of which have advanced to the World Series.

While this time of year requires a lot of patience for a last-place club, they were able to make one addition to their 40-man roster.

The Cardinals have claimed infielder Buddy Kennedy off of waivers, the team announced.

The 25-year-old was acquired from the Oakland Athletics after less than a full month in the organization. Kennedy previously was with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft and remained with the club until September, when he was waived despite solid production. 

Kennedy hit .307 with 37 extra-base hits including five home runs, 50 RBIs and a .887 OPS in 93 games at the Triple-A level this season.

He's spent the majority of his career at third base (158 minor league games) but this season he's predominately played second base. He also has limited experience at first base and left field. 

Kennedy has had a taste of big-league action as well. He's hit .207 with five extra-base hits including a home run, 13 RBIs and a .592 OPS in 40 games across the previous two seasons -- all with the Diamondbacks.

The Cardinals have a fair amount of middle infield depth but it's always wise to keep building upon it. Kennedy has much more upside than a player such as Taylor Motter, who appeared in 29 games this season but has since elected free agency.

It'll be interesting to see if Kennedy makes it to spring training or is removed when bigger additions to the roster are made.