Philadelphia Phillies Make Surprising Roster Move

The Philadelphia Phillies have shocked some of their fan base as they have removed utility player Scott Kingery off of their 40-man roster and have outrighted the versatile player to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

The news came down early this week and came after he was reinstated from the injured list. Kingery was supposed to be a key piece to the future of the ball club and it just hasn't worked out as planned. He signed a six-year deal worth $24 million before his major league debut in 2018, which is extremely rare, and he's never lived up to the hype, actually he's never been close.

Scott Kingery’s outright clears a crucial 40-man spot for the Phillies.

No team was going to claim a deeply struggling player who adds a not-insignificant ($4M) total against their tax number.

He’ll finally be able to work on his mechanics full-time in Triple-A — much needed.
— Alex Carr (@AlexCarrMLB) June 7, 2021

The 27-year-old has one hit in 15 games this season before he suffered a concussion. Kingery has three years left, and is owed $24 million from the Phillies. So far in his career, he's managed a slash line of .229/.280/.387 with 30 dingers and 96 RBI. The team holds club options for 2024, 2025, and 2026 but who knows how all that's going to play out.

Kingery did go unclaimed on waivers and will look to get back on track riding the bus in the minor leagues. This shows you sometimes the hype does not benefit the player and being rushed to the big leagues can really have a negative impact on one's career.