It was only a matter of time before Kody Clemens found a new home in Major League Baseball.
After the Philadelphia Phillies designated Clemens for assignment on April 23, it seemed unlikely that the reserve utility player would clear waivers, so the Phillies decided to get something in return. That’s precisely what they did by trading him to the Minnesota Twins.
The initial news that the Twins were acquiring Clemens was broken late Friday night by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. The Phillies officially confirmed the trade Saturday morning, announcing the deal for cash considerations in return from Minnesota.
Phillies trade 'clutch' Kody Clemens to Twins days after designating him for assignment
Clemens, 28, will now get a chance he was never going to get in Philadelphia. As a bench player, Clemens was never going to crack the starting lineup for the Phillies. He barely saw the field early this season, despite making the Opening Day roster after a hot spring.
There were some thoughts that Clemens might be a trade candidate before Opening Day. He very likely would have been dealt a month ago if not for the Phillies needing a body to keep the bench warm for Weston Wilson.
A combination of Clemens hitting .327 with a .900 OPS in Grapefruit League action and Wilson's oblique injury led to Clemens beginning the season with the big league team. But after Wilson was activated from the IL earlier this week, Clemens found himself the odd man out.
He only appeared in seven games this season, all as a pinch hitter or pinch runner, without registering a hit. After arriving in Philadelphia in the 2023 Gregory Soto trade, Clemens slashed .220/.265/.394 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs in 275 plate appearances in 100 games for the Phillies.
Clemens became somewhat of a fan favorite due to his propensity to come up with clutch hits for the Phillies — something the offense could use desperately at the moment.
From the Twins perspective, the move to acquire Clemens comes immediately after red-hot rookie Luke Keaschall sustained a broken right forearm when he was hit by a pitch on Friday, per Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors. It remains to be seen how Twins manager Rocco Baldelli plans to utilize Clemens off the bench. Seeing as he’s out of minor league options, his stay in Minnesota might hinge on how long Keaschall is on the IL.