Of the 30 Major League Baseball teams, there can only be one that wins the final game of the year. For the 29 other clubs, the offseason is an extended period of time spent contemplating what went wrong.
This year’s World Series features a National League champion, the Los Angeles Dodgers, looking to become the first team to win back-to-back championships since the New York Yankees won three in a row from 1998 to 2000. The Toronto Blue Jays will make their first trip to the Fall Classic since 1993, when outfielder Joe Carter blasted a walk-off home run in Game 6 to propel his team to their second consecutive title.
One of the Dodgers or Blue Jays will walk off the field for the final time in 2025 as losers. And the champions will go down in history. But a few players played for both organizations during the regular season. They will receive a ring no matter the outcome of the series.
Buddy Kennedy
Utility infielder Buddy Kennedy, 27, played for three teams this past year. After a brief four-game stint with the Philadelphia Phillies, he signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays in July. Kennedy had six plate appearances with Toronto before he was placed on waivers, eventually claimed by the Dodgers in mid-August.
Kennedy, a fifth-round pick in 2017, attended Millville High School in New Jersey, the same high school that produced future Hall of Famer Mike Trout. He told Mitch Bannon of The Athletic that he’s not rooting for a winner in this year’s World Series.
âItâll be a fun series for me,â Kennedy told Bannon. âBecause each game is, to me, meaningful in some way. Iâm not there, but I was there. I added some little â very, very little â help.â
Kennedy learned a lot about the Dodgers during his time with the club, especially their attention to detail and their interactions in the clubhouse.
âThey have a great group that just meshes perfectly,â he told Bannon about the Dodgers. âThey go take care of business when theyâre in between the lines. Itâs exactly what you want from a team.â
Kennedy returned to the Blue Jays organization in September, signing a minor league contract and playing 27 games at Triple-A Buffalo.
Jose Urena
Starting pitcher Jose Urena played for five teams this season, making 19 appearances with the Dodgers, Blue Jays, New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, and Los Angeles Angels. He was DFA’d four times and has played for 10 organizations since the start of 2021.
âItâs not fun, but at the end of the day, itâs business,â Urena told Sam Blum of The Athletic in September about moving around to different clubs. âThey can control it. Theyâre looking for some player; they want to put you out. But youâve got to keep pushing.â
Urena’s career began with a six-year stint with the Miami Marlins, where he posted a 4.60 ERA in 142 games (98 starts). The right-hander made two appearances out of the Dodgers’ bullpen in June after six appearances and two starts with the Blue Jays in May.
Now, no matter who walks away victorious in the World Series, Urena will become a champion. He and Kennedy will always share that unique experience.
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