While the Phillies have often been haunted with making poor decisions in the past, such as trading away Cliff Lee in the 2009 offseason, or re-signing aged veterans such as second baseman Chase Utley and catcher Carlos Ruiz, it is safe to assume that they made the right choice in not bringing back right handed starting pitcher Kyle Kendrick for the 2015 season.
Kendrick, 30, signed with the Colorado Rockies to a one-year deal, $5.5 million deal on February 4. This came nearly a month after the Phillies signed 13-year veteran Aaron Harang to a major league contract for $500,000 less.
After going 3-1 with a 3.98 ERA in six starts this spring, Kendrick was named the Opening Day starter for the Rockies as they traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to oppose the Brewers on April 6. He simultaneously silenced and surprised critics league-wide, throwing seven shutout innings and going just six batters over the minimum as Colorado went on to rout Ron Roenicke's squad, 10-0.
Many thought after this start that Kendrick had 'changed his approach' and was well on his way to have a career-year with a new team to play for, after spending eight-plus years in Philadelphia.
Unfortunately for the right hander, this proved to be the pinnacle point of his season thus far. Kendrick went on to lose six of his next eight starts following his Opening Day spectacle, allowing 39 combined earned runs in 46.1 innings for a 7.58 ERA of this stretch.
Kendrick's next ten starts, which date to his most recent appearance on the mound on July 21 against the Texas Rangers, was not much better. In 54.0 innings, he yielded 70 hits, 13 home runs, 34 earned runs and a 5.67 ERA. Opposing batters have hit .315/.356/.577 against Kendrick over these ten outings, and .300/.356/.557 for the season.
Breaking down Kendrick's 2015 statistics by month and by location, home and away, proves to show that he has been consistently bad on the mound for the Rockies, who are 40-53 on the season, and stand in last place in the National League West division, 13.0 games behind the leading Los Angeles Dodgers.
The generated image by HitTrackerOnline.com, shown to the right, shows Citizens Bank Park's dimensions (black), overlayed with Coors Field's (red).
To have a 6.89 ERA and a 1.681 WHIP ratio in nine starts at home, as opposed to a 5.52 ERA and a 1.359 WHIP ratio in ten road starts, doesn't quite add up as Coors Fields has one of the biggest field dimensions in the league.
A March 2014 Business Insider article brings light to its vast playing field:
Coors Field covers 2.66 acres, 0.18 acres more than the average ballpark (2.49 acres). That is one-third of an acre larger than Fenway Park or about 14,400 square-feet.
Of course, it is important to consider that Colorado's high altitude, with air being less dense, will have some effect on the flight path of hit baseballs. Regardless, Kendrick's 24 home runs allowed this season are the most in major league baseball. Ten of these have occurred away from Coors Field.
Kendrick was drafted by the Phillies in the seventh round of the 2003 amateur draft out of Mount Vernon High School.
Spanning eight seasons, 185 starts and 41 relief appearances, the right hander native to Houston, Texas went 74-68 with a 4.42 ERA while in red pinstripes.
Daily News Staff Writer Ryan Lawrence provides a good summary of his tenure in Philadelphia:
Summoned from Double A Reading to replace Freddy Garcia in the rotation in mid-June, the then-22-year-old Kendrick saw the Phillies win each of his first four major league starts. He went 10-4 with a 3.87 ERA in 20 starts as a rookie in 2007, helping the Phillies earn their first postseason berth since 1993 and finishing fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting.
In 2008, Kendrick made 30 starts for the eventual world champions. But he had a 5.49 ERA in 31 games and was left off the postseason roster. Kendrick spent the majority of the 2009 season at Triple A Lehigh Valley.
Kendrick returned to the big leagues for good in 2010, but was often used as a swingman, pitching both out of the bullpen and as a starter, until the team traded away Joe Blanton in August 2012. After regaining that role in the rotation, Kendrick went 27-30 with a 4.43 ERA in his final 74 starts with the Phillies.
Kendrick had just one postseason appearance while in Philadelphia, despite the Phillies playing in 46 games from 2007-2011. Starting in the second game of the 2007 National League Division Series against the Colorado Rockies, he allowed five runs on five hits and two walks over 3.2 innings, as the Phillies went on to lose, 10-5.
He will earn $5.5 million in 2015, and an additional $500,000 if he manages to throw at least 82.2 innings in the Rockies' remaining 69 games.
Matt Rappa (@mattrappasports) is managing editor of Philliedelphia.com.
