Phillies trade former top prospect Scott Kingery to the Angels

The Scott Kingery era has officially come to an end in Philadelphia.

The Phillies traded Kingery to the Los Angeles Angels for cash, the team announced Friday. Kingery, 30, is a former top prospect who never found success with the Phillies.

The signs were already there a year ago when the Phillies declined the $13 million club option on Kingery's contract for the 2024 season. But he remained with the organization after his contract reverted to the minor league contract Kingery signed after being drafted in the second round in 2015. Kingery spent the 2024 season in Triple A, where he hit .268 with 25 home runs and was named the IronPigs' Hitter of the Year.

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Kingery was touted so heavily as a prospect that he signed a $24 million contract in 2018 before his first major league game. That year he was in the squad on the first day of the game and worked as a utility player in six positions. But continued struggles led to him being nominated for action in 2021.

Kingery has not appeared in a major league game since 2022. He hit .229/.280/.387 with 62 doubles, 30 homers, 96 RBIs, 25 stolen bases and 320 strikeouts in 1,127 plate appearances in 325 major league games.

New investors

Three new investors have joined the Phillies' ownership group, managing partner and CEO John Middleton announced Friday.

Mitchell L. Morgan, Guntram J. Weissenberger Jr. and a third anonymous investor were added to the limited partnership. Morgan is the founder, chairman and CEO of Conshohocken-based real estate investment management company Morgan Properties. Morgan also serves as chairman of Temple's board of trustees and is a limited partner in the NFL's Washington Commanders.

Weissenberger is president of Westover Companies, a property management company based in King of Prussia.

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“We are fortunate to have three new investors, all of whom have lifelong, multigenerational ties to the Philadelphia region and its business, academic and nonprofit communities,” Middleton said in a press release. “Their significant investment is a vote of confidence in our baseball operations, and the financial resources they provide will enable us to pursue our strategic growth opportunities and long-term goals.” Additionally, their strong commitment to Philadelphia and philanthropic leadership are a perfect fit for the Phillies and make them ideal partners to further expand our franchise.”

The Middleton and Middleman families will also “contribute additional funds,” according to the release.

The addition of the three investors will not impact the Phillies' management, as Middleton will remain the club's managing partner, CEO and MLB controller.