Kyle Kendrick invited to Red Sox spring training for some reason

I’d call this an Old Friend Alert, but considering who we’re talking about, it’s more appropriate to call it an Old Rash I Finally God Rid Of Alert.

Kyle Kendrick has resurfaced, gang. After spending 2016 pitching entirely in the Angels minor league system, the Red Sox have invited him to spring training as right-handed pitching depth. I mean, if they need depth, I guess Kendrick’s fine, but you could also put a hat and a jersey on a penguin and he’d provide nearly the same value that Kendrick would.

If you don’t remember Kyle Kendrick, allow me to refresh your memory. He was a back-of-the-rotation starter for the Phillies for about a million years — or it seemed like it, at least. He was most notably left off the postseason roster in 2008, the year the Phillies won the World Series. He spent eight years with the organization, leaving for free agency after the 2014 season with a career 4.42 ERA.

Things didn’t get much better from there. The Rockies picked him up, which seems like a comical mismatch of player and team, since Coors Field is a pretty hostile environment for pitchers. In 2015 he threw 27 starts in 142.1 innings for the Rockies, and it. Was. Not. Pretty. At no point during the season was his ERA under 5.00. At no point was it under 5.50. At no point was it under 5.75. He spent most of the season with an ERA in the mid to high 6 range, finally ending his season at 6.32. Say it with me: woof. And he was their opening day starter. That’s a thing that happened.

His time with the Angels Triple-A team, the Salt Lake Bees, wasn’t much better. But the Red Sox see some potential despite his 4.72 ERA in 93.1 innings in Triple-A. But hey, Dave Dombrowski probably knows what he’s doing. Unless he’s starting to take advice from Red Sox first base coach Ruben Amaro, AKA the Phillies former GM. Don’t listen to him, Dave!

You know what, I shouldn’t focus on the negative. Let’s remember Kyle Kendrick’s finest moment as a member of the Phillies.

Yes. His finest moment is when his teammates tricked him into thinking the Phillies traded him to Japan. Did you think I was talking about any of his pitching? Hah, no. He did have some good moments with the Phillies, of course, but he’s Kyle Kendrick. How could he have a finer moment than this?

I’ll be eager to see how this turns out, if only because it’s a chance for me to write about Kyle Kendrick again, and use that magnificent video.