Phillies' Former Top Prospect Getting Another Shot With Organization After Contract Loophole
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The Philadelphia Phillies thought they might have gotten a potential franchise cornerstone when they took Scott Kingery in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft.
He was coming off a dominant year at the University of Arizona, being named the Pac-12 Player of the Year, and was a Cape Cod All-Star prior to that Junior season.
The infielder had a rapid ascension through the Phillies' pipeline, reaching Double-A in his second year of professional baseball and Triple-A in his third.
Kingery was considered Philadelphia's No. 2 overall prospect in 2018, the same season he was added to the Opening Day roster and played in 147 games during his rookie year.
After major struggles at the plate where he posted an OPS+ of 61, the potential star had a much better season in 2019 when he slashed .258/.315/.474 with 19 home runs, 55 RBI, and an OPS+ of 101.
Unfortunately, his career derailed after that.
He contracted COVID-19 in 2020, forcing him to quarantine away from the team. When he returned, his offensive performance was abysmal.
Kingery has largely been a minor league player since, only appearing in 16 MLB games from 2021-23, including none last year.
Philadelphia announced they had declined his $13 million club option for this season, triggering a $1 million buyout.
It looked like the marriage between the two parties was over.
That is until a loophole in his contract reverted him back to his original minor league deal when his club option was declined.
"Yeah, I was a little bit shocked. I had no idea about that rule, so when it was told to me, I wasn't in the know. And so, it was something new to me," he told Phillies Nation.
Ultimately, this gives him one last chance with Philadelphia.
The 29-year-old still plans on playing in the MLB, something that continues to drive him while he's playing in the minors.
It's likely that only happens with the Phillies if there are tons of injuries.
But, it also must be pointed out that Kingery has performed very well so far in Spring Training, recording four hits, two of them home runs, in addition to three RBI across his 11 at-bats.
Maybe the former top prospect gets another shot at some point this year.
At the very least, he can use this contract loophole to put together a solid season in the minors to hopefully get another opportunity elsewhere.
