After struggling to start yet another MLB season, former Philadelphia Phillies prospect Scott Kingery has been designated for assignment again by the Los Angeles Angels, with his shortcomings both at the plate and in the field plaguing the second leg of his MLB career.
After a disappointing end to his six-year, $24 million contract, the Phillies’ former second-round pick, who was once envisioned and projected to be a cornerstone of the team’s infield, hoped for a new chapter in his once-promising career once the team traded him to the Angels for cash in 2024. After batting .160 in his twenty-five plate appearances with his team in 2025, the once-favored utility man seems to share a similar fate in LA, being designated for assignment on Aug. 11.
Never quite getting enough playing time in Philly, Kingery struggled with the club’s idea of his role on the roster, never truly mastering the concept of the utility role, with the result of being DFA’d by the Phillies a few times.
#Angels transactions:
— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) August 11, 2025
•Selected the contract of RHP Shaun Anderson (#64)
•Following yesterday’s game, RHP Jack Kochanowicz was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake
•Designated INF Scott Kingery for assignment
He debuted in 2018, and while not stellar, he showed promise. The issue, however, was that he seemed to struggle with the variables that come with being a utility bench player, with his role continuing to diminish until he was just sporadically pinch running and playing the final innings of a game before his trade.
Former Phillies castoff Scott Kingery finds similar fate after struggles with Angels
Both Kingery and his new team hoped that his more veteran presence, mixed with a team full of younger talent, could allow Kingery to get comfortable with a new club, which could rely on his skillset at multiple positions just as much as he could rely on an opportunity to play with the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim.
Kingery, who was initially a shortstop, continued to struggle playing around the diamond, so his new team allowed him to focus on where he’s most comfortable throughout spring training before being optioned to Triple-A at the start of the season. His role seemed to be reduced back to what it was amidst his struggles in Philadelphia. The Angels quickly caught on to a realization the Phillies took years to accept: Kingery’s spot on an MLB roster is obsolete unless he can perform, at the very least, moderately well in either the infield or outfield while putting up consistent at-bats.
Moving on from Kingery, despite him once showing high promise, was the best move this current Phillies front office could do. With the team initially dumping Kingery to allow prospects like Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm to develop to become the pros they are today, this move allowed both the flexibility of the team’s roster and the growth of some players who have filled the role the team envisioned for them, becoming some of the most stable everyday players for this club in recent years.
Additionally, it allowed the Phillies to invest in a true utility man in Edmundo Sosa, who has proven not just within the 2025 season, but throughout his entire career in a Phillies uniform that he will consistently come through both on the field and at the dish in ways that Kingery clearly couldn’t have had he stayed in Philadelphia.