The Phillies inked second base prospect Scott Kingery to a six-year extension, the team announced Sunday. The deal is reportedly worth around $24 million guaranteed, per an additional report from FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman, and comes with club options for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Kingery, 23, was ranked no. 2 in the Phillies’ system and no. 1 among all second base prospects this winter. He earned a long-awaited promotion to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2017 and slashed a combined .304/.359/.530 with 18 home runs and 29 stolen bases in 603 plate appearances in both Double- and Triple-A. He brought his hot bat to spring training, too, raking in a .391/.415/.725 batting line and earning his first promotion to the majors.
It’s not immediately clear how Kingery will be utilized on the Phillies’ roster. Cesar Hernandez is expected to start at second base for the time being, and previous reports from manager Gabe Kapler indicated that Kingery was more than capable of filling multiple roles for the team -- including shortstop, third base, first base, and center field. Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia also notes that Hernandez could be used as trade bait later this year if the Phillies decide to hand the keystone over to Kingery.
