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Philadelphia Phillies putting pressure on Scott Kingery to perform immediately

By Tim Boyle

CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 13: Scott Kingery (80) of the Phillies fields a ground ball during the spring training game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies on March 13, 2018, at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 13: Scott Kingery (80) of the Phillies fields a ground ball during the spring training game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies on March 13, 2018, at Spectrum Field in Clearwater, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia Phillies shocked the world with a six-year extension awarded to infielder Scott Kingery. Since he hasn’t even played a single game at the MLB level, the pressure is on him to perform immediately.

Put yourself in Scott Kingery’s cleats for a moment. The Philadelphia Phillies come to you with an amazing offer. You can sign a six-year deal with them, guaranteeing about $24 million. There are a few more years at the end of the agreement thereafter, adding even higher totals to your bank account. What do you do?

If you have common sense, you sign the deal. That’s because like Kingery, you haven’t had a single inning logged at the MLB level.

The Phillies doubled down on surprises Sunday. Not only would Kingery make the Opening Day roster. He also accepted the not-so-hypothetical deal outlined above.

For the second time in history, a player was signed to a multi-year contract without appearing in a game in the big leagues. The other, former Phillies farmhand Jon Singleton, agreed to a deal with the Houston Astros back in 2014. The plan became a massive bust for the Astros although their 2017 championship rings say otherwise.

Kingery has all of the makings of a future star. Even so, the Phillies have put him in a dangerous situation.

What could go wrong?

The stereotype about Philadelphia sports fans is one that concerns me. Though they’re not nearly as savage as the mainstream media makes them out to be, their passion can tear Kingery apart before he gets a chance to build his confidence.

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Rewarding Kingery this early may help him buy the boat he has always wanted and assist the Phillies down the line when he deserves a lot more. In the present, it sets Kingery up to fail.

The good news is that the Phillies don’t even have an everyday job for Kingery. He’ll move between a variety of infield positions throughout the year, sharing time with teammates along the way. Kingery should see time at second base, third base, and even play some shortstop.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if Gabe Kapler tests him out in the outfield, as many teams plan to do with young future stars, making them versatile adds to their arsenal.

Phillies fans reward players who have paid their dues. No matter what argument you make, Kingery has yet to pay his.

Even if the fans behave kindly, Kingery has his own demons to conquer. He has a contract to live up to. His reputation is at stake far more now than if he was playing for the league minimum.

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Still, I suppose this is better than holding him back in the minor leagues. All of the bad scenarios involving this extension are speculatory. For now, I’ll try to believe the Phillies gave him this deal because they knew it wouldn’t change a thing.

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