Padres pull back Kennedy, Benoit after claims

Padres pitchers Ian Kennedy and Joaquin Benoit both have been claimed on waivers and subsequently pulled back — two hits to the remaining trade market for pitchers.

Kennedy and Benoit are now ineligible to be traded.

Several teams were surely interested in both pitchers, but there had been some thought Kennedy might clear due to his relatively high salary, which is close to $10 million.

Kennedy has enhanced his value in recent days with greatly improved performance, and his $9.8-million salary (with $3 million-plus to go) ultimately did not deter someone from putting in a claim. Benoit is considered one of the top set-up men in the game, so it’s not a surprise he was claimed.

The Padres surprised folks by not trading their free agents at the deadline, most notably star outfielder Justin Upton and Kennedy. But the reality is, Kennedy probably wasn’t nearly as coveted late last month as he is now, only a few starts later. He is 3-2 with a 2.63 ERA since the break, and 7-11 with a 4.20 ERA overall.

Rival teams suggest they believe the Padres are trying to win as many games as possible, which may explain why Kennedy was pulled back. The team holds an option on Benoit, but Kennedy is a free agent after the year. It’s possible the Padres could extend him a qualfying offer, though rivals don’t view that possibility as necessarily likely. If they do, they might be able to get a draft choice for Kennedy.

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