Phillies Rumors: Trading Scott Kingery would be a mistake
By Tim Boyle
Phillies rumors projects that prospect Scott Kingery has a chance to become a really good MLB player. Unfortunately, for Philadelphia Phillies fans, it may happen in another team’s uniform.
Baltimore Orioles star Manny Machado is the latest on the Philadelphia Phillies radar. According to the most recent Phillies rumors, the stud third baseman is a potential trade target for the City of Brotherly Love. Obviously, the price to pay for such a great talent would be costly. Any deal involving Machado would pluck a lot of exquisite pieces from a farm system.
That’s where Phillies prospect Scott Kingery gets involved. The 23-year-old second baseman is a highly-regarded talent in the Phillies system nearing his big league debut. This should occur at some point in 2018 as the Phillies march back toward relevancy.
Where Kingery fits in with the Phillies future is still up for debate. The infield is one of their strengths regarding depth. Second baseman Cesar Hernandez has developed into an excellent offensive weapon while third baseman Maikel Franco could still become a dangerous bat again.
There’s also shortstop J.P. Crawford and first baseman Rhys Hoskins to round out the infield, leaving Kingery as the outsider.
The Phillies’ infield will change soon, possibly even this winter. Freddy Galvis is a trade candidate and someone they will surely move if only to open up more at-bats for the younger players. This still doesn’t leave room for Kingery to make his mark, which is why he’s a trade candidate.
However, Kingery is not the only name in this group whispered among the rumors.
Hernandez is a desired piece that teams like the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers have shown interest in previously.
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Although he has fallen on hard times, some organizations could view Franco as a bounce-back candidate. Despite his continued drop at the plate, he still does hit with power and won’t turn 26 until next August.
If the Phillies make a big trade this winter to improve their roster, it’s tough to imagine Kingery would not be involved. Trading Galvis and Hernandez are sellers moves. The buyer’s route, such as adding Machado, would undoubtedly force them to include Kingery.
Will they do it, though? Are the Phillies prepared to trade away a guy who could become Chase Utley 2.0?
I guess that Kingery stays in Philadelphia. The primary reason for this is that there is no need for the Phillies to buy high this winter. The slow free agent period could pave a path to sign some overanxious players whose agents have bills to pay.
Any All-Star caliber players the Phillies acquire this winter will arrive via free agency. They have the cash to spend and time to let the infielders battle it out for another season.
Next: Jorge Alfaro is an unfamiliar kind of catcher in Philadelphia
All of these Phillies rumors are exciting, especially with lots of room to work with within the budget. Imagine the living nightmare if they believed in Tommy Joseph after one season and made Hoskins expendable.