The Angels reached agreement with Scott Kingery on a one-year deal to avoid arbitration, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network (X link). Salary terms have not been reported. Kingery is under arbitration control through the 2027 season.
Kingery just landed with the Halos a few weeks ago. Los Angeles acquired the infielder from the Phillies in a small trade. They added him to their 40-man roster to keep him from hitting minor league free agency. Kingery has more than three years of service time from his stint with the Phils, so he immediately became eligible for arbitration when the Angels put him on the roster. MLBTR did not project a salary for Kingery because he was not on a 40-man at the time of our arbitration projections (courtesy of Matt Swartz). It’d be a surprise if he’s in for a salary much above the league minimum.
In any case, the Arizona product has a clear path back to the majors. Kingery, who signed a $24MM extension before making his debut in 2018, has played in all of one big league game in the last three years. That came as a defensive substitute in 2022. He hasn’t reached 40 games in an MLB season since 2019. Kingery didn’t make much of an impact in Philadelphia, running a .229/.280/.387 line in more than 1100 plate appearances.
The Phillies kept him in Triple-A after outrighting him off the roster. Kingery didn’t have the ability to test minor league free agency without forfeiting the remainder of his extension, which expired last winter. He has essentially spent the last three seasons in the upper minors, turning in roughly league average results. The former second-rounder hit .268/.316/.488 with 25 homers and stolen bases apiece in a hitter-friendly setting this year.
While he came up as a second base prospect, Kingery spent most of this past season at shortstop. He can cover both middle infield spots and move around the outfield. The Angels could be without Zach Neto to begin the season after his recent shoulder procedure. The Halos just signed Kevin Newman as their expected fill-in at shortstop. Kingery can bounce around the diamond in a bench role.
A Klentak mistake that seemed like a reasonable gamble at the time. Now get it over with Arte and send Trout home we’ll take either Reid Detmers or Ben Joyce, your choice – and all you gotta do is take back Taijuan Walker. And we’ll take on the entirety of the $212mil. Clean break and you also got Mick Abel to experiment with in the deal and California Cal (Stevenson).
“WE” you got a mouse in your pocket?
Hopefully that opposed to a Hamster elsewhere….
Alas, poor Lemmiwinks…
LMAO!! Bass to Mouth…
So he got his extension money while still being eligible for arbitration?
Yeah he signed a 6 year contract before ever playing. Had he been on the MLB roster the whole time, he would’ve never had arbitration. 6 years service, then FA.
But since he was outrighted off the MLB roster after half the contract, he played out the final 3 years of the contract in the minors, meaning he didn’t accrue service time.
Now the 6-yr contract is over, he’s back on a new 40-man stint with 3 years service… which triggers arbitration.
You don’t see too many guys that have made 24 million, never accomplished anything and are still arbitration eligible. Rather unique situation.
The Angels are owning the month of November.
One of my favorite things about baseball is the crazy comebacks that some players are able to make that would never happen in any other sport. No way did I ever think he would have a chance to re-surface in the majors again.
They are making a documentary about him it’s called Touched by an Angel. Or maybe it’s called Angels in the Infield.
Well it is the Angels.
We love to give players one last payday.
With his talent there is some potential here. It seems kind of redundant with recent signing of Newman. But just seems odd timing as this outcome was already in motion before Newman.
I’d be surprised by any dynamic breakthrough here. Only time he really produced at MLB level was 2019. To me if 2019 #s jump out I view it as a red flag not a sign of hope. The juiced ball had a profound impact on #s.
He hasn’t, yet. Being on the 40-man roster in November is not the same as being on the MLB 26-man roster in April.
Dude traded playing 3 yrs in the minors and 24 mil for a chance to be a fringe guy in the show. We’d all do it. Now he starts over almost back from where he was when he got the bag. Chance to be a fringe guy in the bigs at league minimum. Screw the dream for 3 yrs, get that bag kid.
These are the non-major league players I’m sick of seeing playing in Anaheim.
It was nice that the Angels added a couple major league players this week. And I don’t mean Hendricks.
Like Sano last year, who got way too many AB’s.