Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Phillies have traded former top prospect Scott Kingery to the Los Angeles Angels for cash considerations. This transaction marks the end of Kingery's time with the Phillies, a tenure that began with high expectations but ultimately did not meet initial projections.

Kingery, who was once regarded as one of baseball’s most promising prospects, signed a six-year, $24 million contract extension after an impressive 2018 Spring Training. He was notably the second drafted player in baseball history to secure a multiyear contract before making his major league debut. However, over five seasons and 325 games with the Phillies, he recorded a batting average of .228 and an OPS of .667, contributing a WAR of 0.5 according to Baseball Reference.

Throughout his career in Philadelphia, Kingery faced several challenges including injuries and frequent positional changes which some believe affected his development. His struggles included being optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2021 and being removed from the 40-man roster in June 2022. Despite these setbacks, Kingery remained positive about his future prospects.

“It’s just, ‘Go out there and play baseball,’ taking it to a point where it can be as simple as possible,” Kingery expressed earlier this year during spring training in Clearwater, Florida. “Just go out and show that I can play some good baseball. I guess there’s not as much pressure anymore.”

During his recent season with Lehigh Valley, Kingery achieved a .268 batting average with 25 home runs and an .804 OPS over 125 games. Nevertheless, he was not promoted by the Phillies who opted for other utility players instead.

With this trade to the Angels, Kingery looks forward to starting anew in Anaheim.