Upgrading the bench is widely viewed as one of Jed Hoyer’s key objectives for the Chicago Cubs this offseason, yet his first move toward that goal feels all too familiar. The Cubs have brought in former Phillies second-round pick Scott Kingery on a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training.
Kingery once looked like a rising talent after a strong 2019 campaign in Philadelphia, when he hit 19 home runs and stole 15 bases. But that season now appears to be the outlier. He hasn’t produced a wRC+ above 50 since, and his performance has steadily declined.
Following a three-year absence from the Majors after his 2022 stint with the Phillies, the 31-year-old utility player resurfaced with the Angels last season, appearing in 19 games. His numbers weren’t encouraging—he posted a .148/.207/.185 line with a wRC+ of just 9.
Jed Hoyer continues to gamble on other teams’ former top prospects
Given Hoyer’s recent struggles to build a reliable bench, fans won’t be short on material for jokes. This is the same Cubs team that essentially became a soft landing spot for Eric Hosmer, confirmed that Trey Mancini was no longer a viable MLB hitter, used Jon Berti as a blowout-game mop-up arm multiple times, and offered Justin Turner what felt like a summer getaway in Chicago. Hoyer did acquire Willi Castro at the deadline, but even Castro fizzled out shortly after arriving from Minnesota.
Ideally, Kingery is nothing more than organizational depth. The Cubs lost several Triple-A Iowa position players to free agency this offseason, and at minimum, Kingery provides coverage and a fallback option should injuries arise. Unless he unexpectedly becomes one of the standout performers in camp, there’s little reason to expect him to break with the Major League club.
Ultimately, signing Kingery underscores the need for Chicago to target a more established veteran utility player. And if the Cubs manage to land a starting third baseman like Alex Bregman, it could allow Matt Shaw to fill that role instead.