4 contracts the Philadelphia Phillies could unload before 2022

If Dave Dombrowski does what he does best, the 2022 Philadelphia Phillies will look very different from the 2021 club.

While the Phillies have a significant amount of money coming off the books this winter, they will also continue to carry a lot of financial dead weight. Without these burdens, the Phillies would be able to drastically overhaul the team and be a serious contender in 2022.

Some of these cost-cutting measures will be next to impossible, but Dombrowski should at least try…

The Phillies need to rid themselves of Scott Kingery’s contract

Scott Kingery’s contract extension could very well go down as one of the biggest financial missteps in Phillies history.

Before he’d even played in a single big-league game, the Phillies gave their second-round pick a six-year deal valued at $24 million, with an annual average salary of $4 million. He’s signed through 2023 with team options for 2024-26.

Kingery made his debut on Opening Day 2018 and has a lifetime .229/.280/.387 line, .667 OPS, and 30 home runs over 324 games.

A bout with COVID-19 and a concussion contributed to his struggles over the last two seasons. Over 51 games between 2020-21, he hit .144/.204/.250 with a .454 OPS and only 19 hits and three home runs.

When the Phillies designated the 27-year-old utility player for assignment in June 2021, he cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A. By mid-July, he’d had shoulder surgery and his season was over.

Kingery stands to make $6 million in 2022 and $8 million the following season. Since no other team wanted to touch him before his surgery, the Phillies might just be stuck with him.