Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Revisiting Phillies' Kody Clemens Trade After Latest Roster Move

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Mike Ostrowski | Last updated Apr 25, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The son of a controversial yet undeniably good Hall of Famer may have played his last game with the Phillies.

Utility man Kody Clemens was designated for assignment by the club on Wednesday to make room for the return of Weston Wilson. The Phillies can either trade him, release him, or try to pass him through waivers to the minor leagues, but they don't have to make an official decision until next Wednesday.

What is official are the results of the trade that sent Clemens to Philly in the first place.

Following their trip to the World Series in 2022, the Phillies decided they needed another bullpen arm to finish the job. In exchange for outfielder Matt Vierling, utility man Nick Maton, and minor league catcher Donny Sands, the Phils got left-hander Gregory Soto plus Clemens from the Detroit Tigers.

While Clemens wasn't the main piece in the deal, he was useful the next season nonetheless. He started 35 games at first base in place of the injured Rhys Hoskins and had only one error.

Offensively though, Clemens wasn't great. He hit a combined .220 throughout his Phils tenure, with nine home runs, 16 doubles, and 31 RBI in 100 games (61 starts).

Soto was somewhat of a disappointment for Philly, following up a 30 save season in Detroit with a 4.62 ERA in 2023. His numbers slightly improved last year despite allowing more runners to reach base safely, and it was enough to unload him to the Baltimore Orioles in July. The Phillies picked up right-handers Moisés Chace and Seth Johnson - now their No. 5 and 12 prospects, respectively - so they still got some good value in the end.

On the other side, the Tigers made out decently. Vierling, who was supposedly blocked by Philly's other outfielders, has become a very useful utility man himself, with starts in all three outfield positions plus third base the past two years. In a combined 278 regular season games, he's slashed .259 with 26 home runs, 49 doubles, and 101 RBI. His only major defect is a high strikeout rate.

Meanwhile, Maton had one unproductive year before (ironically) also being shipped to Batimore, and Sands was quickly released and now plays in Mexico.

Overall, this trade isn't quite as lopsided as it may seem. While the Phillies would love to have Vierling back in their outfield, he did eventually fetch two intriguing prospects in Philly's system.

As for Clemens, it's pretty unlikely that he'll be traded for anything more than some cash. He's just the product of being the wrong fit for a team that's already very lefty-heavy at this time.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: