Oakland Athletics for outfielder Eric Byrnes and minor league infield prospect Omar Quintanilla. Kennedy pitched in the bullpen for Oakland before being pressed into the starter role in September when Rich Harden was injured. Kennedy went 1-5 as a starter for Oakland, and finished the year with a 4–5 record and a 4.70 ERA in the American League. Kennedy pitched well in a middle relief role in Oakland's bullpen in 2006, with a record of 4-1 and a 2.31 ERA. Unfortunately, his role was diminished as he missed three months with shoulder and biceps injuries. Despite struggling in spring training with an ERA above 11.00, Kennedy was named the fifth starter for the Athletics at the start of the season. Through June 2 he compiled a 1–4 record with a 3.30 ERA in 62 innings. He was ineffective afterwards and was placed on waivers. Arizona Diamondbacks Kennedy was claimed by the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 4 after being placed on waivers by the Athletics. He was designated for assignment on August 15 after allowing 7 runs in 3 games and was released by the Diamondbacks. Toronto Blue Jays He signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on August 28 and was called up to the major league team on September 2. He pitched in nine games, all in relief, for the Blue Jays in the final month of the season and went 1–0 with a 5.14 ERA. He became a free agent after the season. Scouting Kennedy had a bevy of pitches at his disposal, featuring a 92-96 MPH four-seam fastball, a 90-92 MPH two-seam fastball, a slow curve, a diving slider and, possibly his second-best pitch after his fastball, a deceptive changeup. His powerful delivery was at the 3/4-sidearm slot, which made his pitches particularly hard for left-handed batters to pick up. He was also very effective against right-handed batters. After struggling a little as a spot-starter for the Athletics, he pitched well in the bullpen in 2006, holding his opponents to a .254 batting average and going 4–1 with a 2.31 ERA. Death On November 23, 2007, Kennedy was in Florida to be the best man at the wedding of a friend. He woke up in the middle of the night and collapsed at the home of his in-laws. He was taken to HCA Florida Brandon Hospital in Brandon, where he was pronounced dead. At