Scott Kingery gets monster deal from Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies made a significant move right before Opening Day by signing prospect Scott Kingery to a long contract extension.

When a team decides that it needs a rebuild, one of the more important steps is recognizing talent before it fully matures. The Phillies are in the middle of the rebuilding process. They seem to have realized that Scott Kingery could be a huge piece of their future. Philadelphia signed the young prospect to a major deal Sunday afternoon.

This seems like a fairly large commitment. Once it gets broken down, this is a great gamble for Philadelphia. First, they didn’t technically extend him very far. They would own his contractual rights for six years no matter what. The final three seasons are club options, so there is no real risk on that front for the Phillies.

The breakdown of the contract is interesting. Jon Heyman reported that Kingery will receive $24 million guaranteed. Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia branch of the Athletic broke down the full contract as well. If this is true, Kingery just made a whole lot of money before he’s even appeared in the major leagues. It’s also fair to point out that the owners and front offices of MLB just won as well. The free agent market was very slow and now big time prospects are signing for very reasonable rates.

It’s easy to understand why Kingery would jump at that kind of money. The flip side of that equation is this is an extremely team-friendly deal. Kingery is widely regarded as one of the best prospects in baseball. Many also believe he’s the best prospect not named Ronald Acuna. If he delivers on his promise, this contract is a steal for Philly.

On the field, it appears the Phillies have one too many infielders. They already pushed Rhys Hoskins to the outfield to make room for Carlos Santana. Maikel Franco is coming off a bad year but is the third baseman at the top of the depth chart. J.P. Crawford and Cesar Hernandez are pencilled in for the middle infield. It’s possible someone could end up the odd man out and be traded shortly.

Next: Ranking The Best Hitter All-Time From Every MLB Franchise

Regardless of where he plays to start, this is a very smart move for Philadelphia. They may have just locked up a premier player for pennies. Even if Kingery doesn’t reach his ceiling, this is an easy win for the Phillies and their fans.