When the Phillies acquired Gregory Soto in exchange for Matt Vierling and Nick Maton before the 2023 season, Kody Clemens was considered an afterthought. The infielder best known as “Yeah that is Roger’s kid” had only played in 56 career MLB games to that point despite turning 27 years old in 2023. But over the next two and a half seasons in Philadelphia, Clemens carved out a nice role as a bench player and even delivered some signature moments such as a walk-off, a clutch home run, and taking the mound
in blowouts. Nevertheless, the numbers game eventually caught up to him, and his time in Philadelphia came to an end.
2025 stats:
7 games, 0-6, 1 walk
What went right:
Clemens made the Phillies Opening Day roster in 2025, edging out Buddy Kennedy following an oblique injury to Weston Wilson that opened a spot on the bench. The 28-year-old Clemens rode a strong spring into the spot, hitting .327 with a .900 OPS and two home runs in 55 at-bats across 21 appearances in the Grapefruit League.
What went wrong:
But Clemens’ time on Philadelphia’s active roster didn’t last long. He was designated for assignment on April 23rd, just four weeks into the 2025 season. Clemens was out of minor league options, and the Phillies needed a roster spot for the returning Wilson. The Phillies were heavily left-handed in their lineup, so it’s not hard to see that there just wasn’t much playing time available for Clemens in a platoon or as a substitute.
Following the DFA, Clemens was traded to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for cash considerations on April 26th. He ended up playing in 112 games for the Twins’ as playing time was plentiful thanks in large part to Minnesota’s mid-season fire sale. Clemens had a solid year in his first season with extended playing time, hitting a career-best 19 home runs with a .725 OPS for the Twins while tallying 1.2 WAR. He even found himself hitting clean-up for the depleted Minnesota lineup on 17 different occasions, 13 of which came after the trade deadline.
The future with the Phillies:
Obviously, Clemens is no longer in the Phillies organization and is likely to be on the Twins 2026 Opening Day roster. It’s what’s best for the player, as Clemens turned in a decent season with an expanded role that a team in a situation such as the Twins could give him. He’s essentially a one-trick pony as a left-handed hitter with some pop who can hit a fastball but who struggles against left-handed pitching and is best when playing first base. The Phillies only have use for a player like that as a bench piece, and they simply couldn’t afford to keep Clemens around once his roster flexibility ended with his options being depleted. But we’ll always have this:
And this:
And who could forget games like this:
