Spring training is wrapping up around the majors, with the Grapefruit and Cactus League schedules dwindling into single-digit games for each team. As the domestic Opening Day approaches on March 27, teams are starting to make tough decisions about which players will make Opening Day rosters and who won't.
Unfortunately, one former Philadelphia Phillies top prospect has fallen into the latter category with his new team on the West Coast. One-time No. 2 prospect in the Phillies' farm system, Scott Kingery, hasn't had the best start to his post-Phillies career this spring after the Los Angeles Angels designated the 30-year-old for assignment on March 17.
Angels DFA former Phillies' No. 2 prospect Scott Kingery after tough spring training
The move came after the Angels acquired lefty reliever Angel Perdomo from the Atlanta Braves and needed to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Not that the designation was that surprising. Kingery had a horrible spring, batting .138 with a .429 OPS, with 11 strikeouts and just four hits in 29 at-bats.
Kingery's tumultuous time with the Phillies came to an end at the beginning of the offseason when Philadelphia quietly traded the 2015 second-round draft pick for cash considerations. It marked the end of an era that began with the Phillies infamously signing Kingery to a six-year, $24 million contract before the 2018 season before he had played a single major league inning.
He debuted in 2018 with a .226/.267/.338 slash line, eight home runs, 35 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 147 games. He improved in 2019, with a .258/.315/.474 line, 19 homers, 55 RBI and 15 steals in 126 games. That was as good as it got for Kingery as a Phillie. He appeared in just 52 more MLB games between 2020 and 2022, slashing .144/.204/.250.
After the Phillies declined his $13 million option following the 2023 season, they stuck him in Triple-A Lehigh Valley for the entirety of 2024. Kingery hit .268 with an .804 OPS, 25 home runs, 67 RBI and 25 steals, but it wasn't enough to garner another chance in the big leagues. He recently played the blame game on his way out of Philadelphia this offseason, pointing the finger for his fall from grace at an organizational shift in hitting philosophy that didn't work for his swing.
Kingery will likely hit the waiver wire, and if he goes unclaimed, he can elect free agency. Although, as Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors points out, that would mean forfeiting his $770K arbitration salary. It's more likely Kingery will accept an outright assignment to Triple-A and take his chances on performing well enough to get a call-up during the season.