Every MLB team tends to take a chance on borderline veterans around this point in the offseason, and the Chicago Cubs added some extra utility depth of their own.
Scott Kingery, once a highly regarded Phillies prospect who signed a $24 million pre-arbitration extension in 2018, has struggled to secure a steady major-league role. Across eight seasons—325 games with Philadelphia and another 19 with the Angels this year—he’s never fully stuck in the big leagues.
Now 31, Kingery is set to receive yet another opportunity to prove himself in Chicago, though the odds of him earning a significant role remain uncertain.
According to a report from Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, the Cubs have signed Kingery to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training. It’s the first time Kingery has signed a free-agent contract as a professional, as he was outrighted to the minors several times by the Phillies, then traded to the Angels for cash last November.
Kingery came to the Angels this year hoping to build on the solid season he put together a year ago with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, when he blasted 25 home runs and put up an .804 OPS in 125 games. Instead, it was one of his most turbulent years yet, as he was designated for assignment three times and put up just four hits in his 29 major league plate appearances.
Kingery peaked at No. 2 on the Phillies’ top prospects list on MLB Pipeline in 2018, and that same year, he was ranked 34th on the site’s Top 100 — ahead of future All-Star pitchers Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, and Brandon Woodruff.
The one obvious plus for the Cubs is that Kingery can play virtually every position except pitcher and catcher, and though the Cubs have a deep roster, there’s always room for an all-around utility guy. Chicago had one on its playoff roster, but Willi Castro is now a free agent.
Leave a Reply