The failed experiment is over.
Kingery, 29, never lived up to the hype. He hit just .229 over 325 major league games with 30 homers and 96 RBIs. He was outrighted from the 40-man roster in June 2022 and spent the entire 2023 season at triple-A Lehigh Valley, hitting .244 with 13 homers and 24 steals in 144 games. He's played in only 16 MLB games since the start of the 2021 season.
A former second-round pick in 2015, Kingery's stock rose on the top-prospect lists after hitting .304 with 26 homers in 2017 between double-A and triple-A. The Phillies inked him to the $24 million deal during Spring Training in 2018, projecting additional growth and an opportunity to extend a young potential superstar with a team-friendly contract.
The deal backfired, primarily because Kingery appeared overmatched in the majors at the plate.
He'll remain with the organization based on the initial contract he signed with the club after the 2015 draft, but the Phillies could release him from the deal so he has an opportunity for a new start with another team.
Coaching Change
The Phillies announced Friday the addition of Cesar Ramos as assistant pitching coach.
Ramos, 39, spent the last two seasons (2022-23) as pitching coach for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He originally joined the Phillies organization as a player information assistant for the 2020 season and served as the organization’s rehab pitching coach during the 2021 season.
A first-round selection (35th overall) out of Long Beach State by the San Diego Padres in the 2005 MLB Draft, Ramos pitched professionally for 13 seasons, which included parts of eight seasons in the major leagues for the Padres (2009-10), Tampa Bay Rays (2011-14), Los Angeles Angels (2015), and Texas Rangers (2016).
Dave Lundquist, who had previously held the assistant pitching coach role, was let go last week. He had been with the organization since 2008.
