Now that Scott Kingery is signed long term, the most important question is how the Phillies are going to utilize him on a game-by-game basis.
Anyone who's followed Kingery's path to the majors or Gabe Kapler's focus on versatility knows that Kingery will not be playing one position. He'll be all over the place, and I'd bet by the time the season ends he'll have major-league experience at second base, third base, all three outfield spots and maybe even a handful of innings at shortstop.
If Cesar Hernandez or Maikel Franco is traded some time soon, this all becomes moot because Kingery would have an everyday spot. But it's going to be tough for the Phillies to get full value for Hernandez or Franco if they aren't playing every single day, so for the short-term it's going to be a juggling act for Kapler.
Let's look at the first series of the season, for example. In Game 1, the Phillies face Julio Teheran. Maikel Franco is 10 for 28 against Teheran and Hernandez is 3 for 28. That would be a clear-cut opportunity to start Kingery at second and sit Hernandez, though the Phils may give Hernandez the nod just because it's opening day.
In Game 2, the Phillies face hard-throwing righty Mike Foltynewicz. Both Franco and Hernandez have had success against Foltynewicz, so that would be an opportunity to start both.
In Game 3, the Phillies draw veteran right-hander Brandon McCarthy, who the Phils have barely faced. A scenario like that could come down to who looks best in batting practice. It could come down to Kapler opting for the best defensive arrangement. Don't be shocked if the Phillies' lineup comes out a bit later than the standard 3 p.m. hour this season.
Philadelphia Phillies
Complete coverage of the Fightin' Phils and their MLB rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The one thing that seems clear in all of this, though, is that the Phillies didn't sign Kingery to this contract to give him 200 plate appearances. They signed him to it with something closer to 400-plus PAs in mind because he's that dynamic of a player and tone-setter.
We've been examining the trade value of Franco and Hernandez for over a year now, and after circling the topic you keep arriving at the same conclusion, that Franco's trade value is going to be relatively low until or unless he shows genuine improvement with plate selection. Power is just too common in 2018 for a team to trade a valuable piece or two for a third baseman with 25-30 home run power but an OBP near .300.
For that reason, Hernandez continues to seem like the more viable trade candidate, unless the Phillies come to a point when they're willing to accept less than 80 cents on the dollar in a Franco trade.
Kapler really values data. In previous seasons, the Phillies have often loaded a lineup with righties against a lefty or vice versa, even when the opposing pitcher had reverse splits. If a righty's best pitch is his changeup, do you really need to go lefty-heavy? Kapler seems like the type of manager who will eschew conventional wisdom in that scenario and go with the guys best able to handle a specific pitch or type of pitcher.
The bottom line is that Kingery is going to play regularly for this team. He's earned that right by dominating the minors and being the Phillies' biggest standout in spring training. His skills and energy will make this team better consistently, which can't be said of a player like Franco when he's not streaking. Perhaps this is the final push Franco needs, and if he responds well the Phillies will be better for it. If not, and if Hernandez is still here, Kingery could be the regular third baseman before midseason.
