Kennedy won’t make Rays’ roster

Posted Apr 1, 2009 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Apr 1, 2009 at 09:25 AM

PORT CHARLOTTE—The Rays haven’t handed down any official roster moves just yet, but unofficially, six veteran non-roster invitees have been told they won’t be on the Rays’ Opening Day roster.

Adam Kennedy leads that list, which also includes Jon Weber, Ray Sadler, Ray Olmedo, Michel Hernandez and Chris Richard.

All six of them will accompnary the Rays to Philadelphia for this weekend’s series, then return to presumably open the season in Durham.

There are no real shockers on that list, though there were some scenarios floated in which Kennedy might open with the Rays. He said a week or so ago, however, that he would be willing to go to Durham if necessary because it beat sitting at home waiting for a team to call.

Updating: Kennedy reiterated that he appreciated all the playing time the Rays gave him this spring and expected this outcome.

“It would have been more of a surprise for it to be anything other than Durham,” he said. “I can’t argue with the at-bats that Joe [Maddon] gave me and the time on the field. It was a real productive spring, everything I could hope for given the circumstances.”