Entering the 2025 MLB season, the Philadelphia Phillies may have their roster set after an eventful offseason. At the same time, the Phillies also have a handful of players who are currently on the roster bubble going into spring training. Among them likely includes popular utility bench bat Kody Clemens.
However, rather than watch Clemens try to fight for a roster spot for the upcoming year, it might be in the Phillies’ best interest to trade the promising 28-year-old (subscription required) before the regular season commences, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic.
But wait a minute, hasn’t Clemens shown some glimpses of his offensive potential? Should Philadelphia really give up on him that fast?
Trading Kody Clemens will allow Phillies to capitalize on his potential and avoid losing him on waivers
Since joining the Phillies during the 2022-23 offseason via the Detroit Tigers trade that also brought in Gregory Soto, Clemens has spent just parts of the past two seasons up with the big league club. That “just parts” is exactly the main concern, as he failed to stick in the majors over the course of a season. Despite constantly raking in the minors whenever he played for the Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Clemens has struggled at times to put up similar numbers during his stints with the Phillies.
In 90 games with the big league club, Clemens has compiled just a .225 average and .672 OPS, along with 32 runs scored, 16 doubles, nine home runs and 31 RBI. On the good side, he did show his versatility as a utilityman, having seen reps at practically every position other than catcher and center field. However, Clemens only found his way onto the Phillies’ roster most of the time whenever they had some injury woes to deal with. Pretty rarely was he called up to be given a legitimate chance to stick with the team.
Gelb also points out that the Phillies are already loaded with left-handed hitters, and Clemens also happens to be a lefty. Most importantly, Clemens will be out of minor league options heading into 2025, so he can no longer be sent down without having to go through waivers. As Gelb suggests, he was the ideal 26th man when he did have options, but not anymore.
With the Phillies still having a stacked roster for the upcoming season, it will be difficult for Clemens to crack the everyday lineup despite his potential. So rather than risk losing him on waivers for nothing, Philadelphia should capitalize on the fact that teams could be interested in his power and offensive potential, especially for those that are willing to give him more playing time to realize that potential.
Ultimately, a trade could present a win-win situation for both Clemens and the Phillies. That way, Clemens would get a fresh start and finally the chance to prove himself, while the Phillies can recoup a usable asset in the process. Whether that be some outfield depth or relief help, as Gelb suggests, anything that can help the team now or in the future will be more than sufficient to match Clemens’ value.
