The Phillies announced they’ve sent infielder Scott Kingery outright to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after he cleared waivers. Philadelphia needed to clear an active roster spot for Zack Wheeler, who’d been on paternity leave. Outrighting Kingery rather than merely optioning him also opens a spot on the 40-man roster, which now sits at 39.
Philadelphia just selected Kingery to the big league club on Tuesday. He appeared in one game as a defensive replacement but didn’t tally an at-bat before losing his roster spot. Bryson Stott and Didi Gregorius started all three games in the middle infield positions, and it seems the Phils are comfortable with Matt Vierling as a utility option while Johan Camargo is on the injured list.
Kingery has appeared in only 52 MLB games since the start of the 2020 season, hitting .144/.204/.250 in 143 trips to the plate. That’s obviously not the kind of production the organization envisioned from the former top prospect, who at one point looked as if he’d cement himself as their long-term second baseman. Instead, Kingery’s strong offensive numbers from the early part of his minor league career have never really carried over at the big league level.
The Phils signed the University of Arizona product to a six-year, $24MM guarantee shortly before he made his MLB debut. He’s under contract through 2023, making $6.25MM this season and $8.25MM next year. The Phils technically control him through 2026 via a trio of subsequent club options, but it’d take a massive turn of fortune over the next year and a half for the team to consider exercising any of those.
As a player with between three and five years of MLB service time, Kingery technically has the right to refuse an outright assignment in favor of free agency. Doing so would require forfeiting the remainder of the money on his deal, however, so he’ll certainly instead head back to Lehigh Valley. The 28-year-old is hitting .185/.297/.296 across 64 plate appearances with the IronPigs.
As always, we await developments.
Only you.
Him and Singleton are examples why signing a player before they play in the MLB is very risky.
Evan White too
Eloy Jimenez owed over $20 million the next couple of years, too.
Eloy does decent when he’s healthy
He sure cashed in , still could get the mojo back , in another organization ?
No one will take him until his contract expires and then it’s doubtful.
I thought the Phils would still be on the hook and he’d make the minimum.
Only if the Phillies release him.
If you claim him on waivers, you claim his contract too. If the Phils were to release him, and then you sign him after his waiver period, the Phillies would be on the hook for everything but the minimum.
Ruined by taking launch angle too much to heart.
Dave, Jerry dipoto online 2
I don’t think they’ve tried him at catcher yet. Pretty sure they’ve put him at every other position.
I love watching Dave Dombrowski work through the mess he inherited.
The day he took the job he was boxed into a corner. No way in the world he was going to get things righted in a linear / logical manner.
He found a manager and players roles are becoming clear. The defense up the middle is improving (and the new manager is inserting decent defensive OF’s in the late innings of games the Phillies are ahead in to replace the DH’s that play out there), and – dare I note – the bullpen has moved from sucks / mediocre to average.
Very impressive. 105 games left in the season. Stay tuned……..
thought you’d enjoy this :
“Brooklyn Dodger Rex Barney, after pitching a no-hitter in September 1948…
“I was a smart-$ss kid because I had so much talent, and later that season I was pitching against the Cubs, and I had another no-hitter going into the top of the eighth. I said to Ralph Branca, ‘I’m going to pitch another no-hitter.’ Ralph said, ‘What? Why do you talk like that?’ I said, ‘Ralph, I know every hitter. I have six more hitters to face and there’s only one guy, Phil Cavarretta, who I have to worry about.’ “So I get the first two guys out in the eighth, and Cavarretta’s the hitter. Now, when a pitcher has a reputation for being wild, the batter ordinarily takes a couple of pitches. Campanella calls for a curveball, and I shook him off, ‘cause I figure Cavarretta’s got to be taking. I’m gonna throw him a fastball, and I’ll be ahead of him, and then I can do whatever I want. I threw a fastball down the middle, and he hit a line shot into right field for a single. Campy didn’t say a word. It was one-two-three in the ninth, and I ended up pitching a one-hitter. As I was walking off the mound, Campanella said. ‘Don’t you ever shake me off again. You know I’m smarter than you are. And I’ve always been smarter than you are. And I’ll always be smarter than you are. Pitchers don’t know a Godd$mn thing. That’s why they have catchers.’ ”
(‘Bums’, Golenbock, pp.292-294)”
Astros Hot Takes;
Thank You.
The only thing good Dombrowski has done for the Phillies is trade for Kyle Gibson. Other than this, he has done more harm than good.
LOL
He had the coaches straighten out pitchers that he kept for the bullpen as well as stop Nola’s slide; got Alec Bohm back on track; brought in Camargo that took over 3B until Bohm was righted and subbed at SS when Didi was out for a bit.
The Phillies are beginning to play smart baseball – hitting the other way against the shift; hitting cutoff men; running the bases properly, etc. – in short, the sloppy play is fading away.
If you think this is happening without any input from the head of Baseball Ops – who the manager and coaches report to – then you need to return to your computer baseball game and fantasy league. DD is a total professional and expects the same from his employees.
When they make the WS people like you will say it was in spite of Dombrowski.
Got go agree with Sam. The Phillies were 9 under .500 with Girardi, not Dombrowski’s guy. The lineup is really clicking now. The pitching has been great all season. I love additions like Carmago. DD inherited an absolute mess, and while this team is still flawed, they’re certainly good enough to be competitive. We rightfully mocked this roster when they weren’t hitting, but now that the offense is back, they are really rolling, and I think they’re built to go on a few hotstreaks like this. The struggles will definitely come again, but DD built a WC contender. Firing Girardi was the absolute right move too.
Von;
Pretty much agree with all your points but one……
Didi.
I wrote last year that he had gout and that was affecting his game. I had it. Incredibly painful, and doesn’t go away in a month or two. He could run or glide to a batted ball; was throwing and hitting off of one foot. His body was contorted and it’s a wonder he didn’t totally ruin his game and suffer additional injuries using the wrong muscles.
Last night the TV broadcaster mentioned that Did remarked the other day that he’s finally healthy and feels strong again. He isn’t the best SS in MLB, but he plays a quality D and is a solid run producer – especially when doesn’t try to pull everything and uses a sort of an inside-out stroke to get the ball to left center. He’s being used properly with Stott and Camargo allowing him to sit / pinch-hit once or twice a week.
Again, very impressed with Rob Thomson – got a baseball lifer there, much like Brian Snitker.
@Samuel You were right about Didi. I didn’t fully believe it,but he’s been solid.
Khalil Lee for Scott Kingery, Phillies pay 4 million and 6 million in each of the years respectively, who says no?
No, says I..
I don’t see how that makes any sense for the Mets. They have a younger, controllable player in hand with none of Kingery’s baggage, assuming there’s baggage. Why would they trade for a hope that Kingery becomes something more than what he’s shown himself to be so far. That’s Phily’s burden and cross to bear
It’s like trading a used napkin for handful of dust. Nothing worthwhile changing hands.
In no world would anyone trade for Kingery.
Unfortunate. I thought everyone said this guy was a first ballot HOFer in the future. What happened?
I really thought this kid was gonna be pretty good (way back when)..at the very least a ‘Nick Punto’ type…maybe a Joe Lafebvre lol
These mini ext’s have been horrid on mid range players in the last couple years
Fletcher, Evan White, Bote, Kingery, Dozier
Id rather just play the arb game on these middling talents
I can dig the better talent exts of Hayes Whitlock and JP Crawford and even the mega’s in Tatis but just NO to these small potato guys. So little upside in the contract compared to the downside
Fletcher has been perfect
Good on Kingery for signing that deal.
Oh, Kingery sucks? Welcome to Oakland in 4,3,2,1…
Nobody commenting on the “iron pigs”?
I wonder while negotiating the CBA, the subject of how much dead money is owed by all the teams.
More moves on the way…need Maton or another infielder
Maton is about ready to comeback. This move allowed relates to Wheeler coming back from paternity leave. Kingery was just an emergency backup IF incase another one got injured.
Remember that the 13 pitcher limit comes into effect on 6/20. Teams are trying to milk the 14th pitcher for as long as possible …