A source close to Kyle Kendrick has informed me that Kendrick said he has until June to prove himself, or else he’ll be traded.
Obviously, Kendrick isn’t an automatic for the 25-man roster out of Spring Training. Word is he’ll compete with JA Happ and Carlos Carrasco for the fifth-starter spot. Kendrick, 24, struggled in 2008, going 11-9 with a 5.49 ERA.
The source also informed me that Kendrick had a slew of mental hiccups during the 2008 season, which may have veered him off the focus of his job. The source cited a volatile situation, during a road trip in San Diego, where Kendrick seemed emotionally lost. In San Diego, in a start, Kendrick lasted only 3.2 innings, giving up six runs in a 10-7 loss.
Take this all for what it’s worth, but I trust this source, and the idea of Kendrick being on the block by June seems obvious enough.
Tim MalcolmTim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.
