Scott Kingery, UTIL
Scott Kingery, the once highly touted prospect, made news last month when the Phillies declined his $13 million option. He remains within the Phillies organization and under team control but was removed from the 40-man roster and reverted back to the original minor league deal he signed when he was drafted.
Kingery was once seen as the next big contributor and signed a long-term contract in 2018, which was at the time unprecedented for Phillies prospects. Needless to say, it hasn't worked out as initially anticipated. But to Kingery's credit, he has continued to work hard to get back to the major leagues.
In Spring Training this past season, he made a major case to break camp with the team when he hit .340/.415/.862, but the team opted to go in a different direction. Unfortunately, Kingery got off to a slow start at Triple-A, batting .244 and striking out at a significant rate.
Working with the coaches on a new approach, in 117 games he struck out 135 times and walked just 48 times. When Kingery received his long-term deal in 2018 he was known for his knack of getting on base, but after making changes to his swing, he hasn’t been able to find that spark.
Kingery can be a contributor for the Phillies with his defensive versatility. He has played every outfield position, along with second base, shortstop, and third base. Having someone who can play six of the nine positions is valuable in itself, and getting on base consistently would be a cherry on top.