Guardians trade depth infielder Carter Kieboom to NL East powerhouse 

Two months ago, the Cleveland Guardians signed Carter Kieboom to a minor league contract so he could serve as insurance at third base behind José Ramírez. 

His time on Cleveland’s roster has come to an end without him appearing in a big league game. On Saturday, the Guardians traded Kieboom to the Phillies in exchange for cash considerations, which marks his return to the National League East. 

Guardians were smart to bring Carter Kieboom in as insurance despite trading him to Phillies

While the Guardians could have decided to send Keiboom to Triple-A since he wasn’t on the 40-man roster, they clearly didn’t think he was a necessary part of the middle infield picture, which is likely why they jumped at the chance to trade him. 

Kieboom didn’t do much to impress this spring (he hit .160 with one home run in 16 games), but he still has 136 games of big league experience under his belt, which helps his profile a little bit. 

He’s also going to be in a bit of a familiar spot, as he spent the first five seasons of his big league career with a fellow NL East resident in the Nationals. He has a career .275 batting average against the Phillies, though he’s hit just .158 at Citizens Bank Park. 

Kieboom has hit .200 in those 136 career MLB games, though he was once a top-100 prospect during the beginning of his time in the Nationals’ system. He appeared in three games with the Nationals last season. 

Kieboom never really had a chance to make the Guardians’ roster thanks to Ramírez being entrenched at third along with Brayan Rocchio and Gabriel Arias playing well. 

One of the biggest reasons the Guardians likely considered Kieboom expendable was the strong play of Juan Brito, who should get everyday playing time in the minors ahead of his eventual MLB call-up. 

While Kieboom can move all around the infield (which would help him earn a spot on the Phillies’ big league roster), Brito and fellow top prospect Travis Bazzana should get the lion's share of playing time in the infield in Columbus. 

Meanwhile, the Phillies bench will be made up of utility players Otto Kemp,  Dylan Moore and Edmundo Sosa, both of whom can play all over the infield. Moore was added to the roster on Saturday ahead of his opt-out clause, but his spot on the roster could eventually become Kieboom’s should he struggle. 

Even though Kieboom’s stint with the Guardians ended up becoming a whole not of nothing, it was still smart for the Guardians to bring him in as insurance.