The Phillies made an under the radar depth move Saturday afternoon, bringing in a forgotten top prospect that came up with a division rival in the process.
The Phillies acquired infielder Carter Kieboom for cash from the Cleveland Guardians, first broken by Tim Stebbins of MLB.com.
What the Phillies are getting in Carter Kieboom
In Kieboom, the Phillies are taking a flyer on a long shot rebound from a former highly regarded prospect whose bat has never held up against major league pitching.
Once a top 100 prospect who reached as high as 21 on MLB Pipeline’s list back in 2021, Kieboom looked like Anthony Rendon’s heir apparent at third base for the Washington Nationals for a few years.
Drafted late in the first round out of high school in 2016, Kieboom reached Triple-A by the time he was 21 and raked. The former Futures Game participant slashed .303/.409/.493 with a .902 OPS in 109 games at the minors’ highest level in 2019.
Despite the top prospect status and success in the minors, Kieboom hasn’t received much run at the major league level. He made his debut in that 2019 season but hit just .128 in an 11-game cup of coffee. Across five seasons, the now 28-year-old has found his way into just 136 big league games.
Over the last two campaigns, Kieboom appeared in just three major league contests.
Even beyond the lack of MLB production, a turnaround doesn’t seem particularly likely based on his spring training numbers with Cleveland. The right-handed hitter put up a paltry .160/.192/.512 triple slash in 25 at bats with the Guardians, indicating that even the stellar Cleveland development system hasn’t been enough to jumpstart his career.
Kieboom will presumably start the year with Triple-A Lehigh Valley as a depth option. The 28-year-old will likely slot in behind Liover Peguero and possibly even Aidan Miller on the depth chart in case the Phillies ever need an infielder to fill in with the big-league team.
Still, the addition of Kieboom makes sense, considering the club doesn’t have a ton of battle-tested infield depth not already at the major league level.
Should Kieboom reach the majors at any point this season, the Phillies would control his rights through 2029 via arbitration. However, before that thought can even flicker in the front office’s mind, Kieboom will have to prove his early minor league seasons weren’t just a fluke.
Cleary, teams still think Kieboom has a bit of untapped potential to be capitalized on, as evidenced by the fact that he received a minor league deal with Cleveland in the first place, and the Phillies going as far as to work out a trade to secure his services.
Still, time is running out for Kieboom to make good on the potential that once made him one of the most exciting young players on the Nationals’ farm.