Phillies’ infielder/outfielder Scott Kingery recently underwent surgery on his right shoulder to repair a torn labrum, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. Kingery will be out of action for the remainder of this season, though Zolecki notes it’s hoped he’ll recuperate by next year’s spring training.
This marks yet another disappointing chapter in the story of Kingery and the Phils. The team signed Kingery to a six-year $24MM contract prior to the 2018 season, before he had even played a game in the big leagues. The hope at the time was to secure the services of a highly-touted prospect at team-friendly rates, before he made himself more expensive through his production.
Unfortunately, Kingery has never been able to deliver on his initial promise in a sustained manner, producing a meager slash line of .229/.280/.387 in 1,127 plate appearances over the past four seasons and getting outrighted off the roster last month. This latest injury only further dims any hopes of the club reaping any rewards from their initial leap of faith with Kingery. The aforementioned contract still guarantees him $6.25MM and $8.25MM for 2022 and 2023, respectively, along with $1.75MM in buyouts for three club options the Phils hold over Kingery for 2024-2026.
If there is any chance of the utilityman righting the ship in the next few years, the first step will be what sounds like a lengthy rehab process after a significant medical procedure.
I wish him well.
The Phils basically ruined his career but made him rich in doing so. Seems like the Phillies spend a lot of money and get very little in return. A lot.
How did they ruin his career? Is it their fault that he can’t play?
It kind of is their fault, because they messed with his swing to try and make him a power hitter, and never let him settle into a single position.
Franchises ruin good prospects all the time because they insist on changing mechanics unnecessarily.
Or he could just be a bust. I’m not going to say the Phillies didn’t have anything to do with it but I think it’s crazy talk when people blame the organization for ruining his career
Kind of the nature of the beast with these kinds of deals. It’s a gamble. At the All Star break in 2019, Phillies were very happy with their investment. Then he collapsed and it turned out to be a bad deal.
This is a common narrative that is completely false. Young players switch positions often. The Marlins transforned Realmuto into a catcher. Kingery was just a mess. I blame the Phillies for a lot, but Kingery got in his own head.
@von: another great NL East example is deGrom moving from SS to pitcher.
Exactly right rct.
How do you know Kingery got in his own head? Are you in his head?
Sorry, I’m just tired of fans psychoanalyzing players with zero knowledge.
@gbs42 Because the kid said so himself! I think he would know best. Maybe read some of his interviews before assuming people are making stuff up.
Fair enough. My apologies, Von. No, I wasn’t aware of the interview.
Still, the self-proclaimed psychologists are everywhere. It’s refreshing to read that someone didn’t make something up about what’s in a player’s head.
Nah. Honestly, I’ve probably been guilty of it in the past, so you’re fine. And it’s a good point. Sometimes as fans we get to passionate and assume we know stuff we don’t.
The Phils never gave him a shot to play 1 position. They made him a super utility guy from the beginning.
Did that hurt him? Maybe so. Not everybody can do it. He clearly never got comfortable
@Johhny – You’re using the past tense, but I sure hope Kingery isn’t done. I’d be happy for him if he gets things back on track and has some sort of continued major league career.
I think contracts like Kingery’s and Evan White’s and the others that have not worked out like Jonathan singleton and Jose Tabata and Ricky Romero are a bad idea without even factoring in their struggles. It takes away any real need to prove themselves.
Think about it, if when you start your career in whatever field you chose, your employer guarantees you enough money to basically retire on from day one, would you really care about improving yourself and mastering your craft? I know I would spend my days coasting and thinking about going home and spending my money. And most other people would too.
The flip side would be that you feel pressure to live up to the contract and you try too hard.
That’s a good point as well.
Plus the teams paint themselves into a corner because they can’t/won’t send these guys back to the minors because it’s humiliating for all sides.
‘Most other people’ don’t have the drive, talent, and work ethic to make it to the big leagues in the first place, though. These players get these deals because they’re a rare breed and guys like Albert Haynesworth (who take the big money and then literally lie down and stop caring) are super rare. I don’t think it’s very productive to compare regular people with regular jobs to pro athletes; most of us would be more than content with a fraction of even minimum MLB wages.
The deals themselves are not to blame. Some players develop, some don’t. Although it would be interesting to see ‘success rate’ of players who get these deals in relation to the general pool of players.
I think you are guilty of hero worship and are forgetting that these pro athletes are still regular old human beings just like the rest of us. They are susceptible to the same vices and faults as everyone else. Even if they do start out with superior talent.
Did you ever go to a high school reunion and see that the good looking talented guy was not always the most successful person in the group? Having more talent and drive will only get you so far.
hiflew – following your reasoning, every high draft pick would fail because they already made their millions.
Or you get Ozzie Albies and you get a massive bargain.
Scott Kingery was young enough when his deal ended to make serious money on his next deal. Any free agent can lie down and get lazy. These deals at the beginning of a players career typically tend to work out better. Because at the end of the day flushing 24 MM down the drain over 6 years is a lot cheaper than signing a guy like Ozuna for 80 and watching that not work out.
I was worried when the Braves gave Acuna that early contract. He could have coasted, but instead he worked even harder.
If they can only dump his buddy that plays 1st base. Trade the guy who plays first to the Marlins for Aguilar.
Win win situation
He should join Jedd Gyroko’s coaching staff in W Virginia…or he should just get traded and then he’ll do awesome only when he faces the Phils
Another Phillies mistake. See Danny tartabull or Charlie Morton or lance Parrish. Odubel Herrera,,,?
what? Tartabull quit on the team and Morton was gotten for nothing.
IMO, the Phillies went wrong when they promoted him in 2018. In 2017, he finished the year in AAA with a 58/13 K/W. That is pretty bad. That he had a 126/24 K/W as a rookie, should not be surprising, nor is it sustainable.
Instead of the contract being a burden on Kingery, I see the contract as being a burden on the Phillies. Had they not had the contract, the Phillies might’ve been content to leave in AAA another year, or even two years.
I think that, since they were paying him, they thought they should promote him.