It was inevitable that He would land with a new Major League Baseball team.
After the Philadelphia Phillies designated him for assignment on April 23, it seemed doubtful that the utility player would make it through waivers. Wanting to get some value in return, the Phillies chose to trade him to the Minnesota Twins.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal first reported late Friday night that the Twins were acquiring Him. The Phillies made it official Saturday morning, announcing they had traded him to Minnesota for cash considerations.
The Phillies have traded INF Kody Clemens to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for cash considerations.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 26, 2025
Phillies trade ‘clutch’ Kody Clemens to Twins days after designating him for assignment
At 28 years old, Clemens will finally get an opportunity he never would have had in Philadelphia. As a bench player, he was unlikely to break into the Phillies’ starting lineup and saw very limited playing time early this season, despite earning a spot on the Opening Day roster after an impressive spring training.
There had been speculation that Clemens could be traded before Opening Day, and he likely would have been moved sooner if the Phillies hadn’t needed an extra body on the bench while Weston Wilson recovered.
Clemens’ strong spring performance — hitting .327 with a .900 OPS — combined with Wilson’s oblique injury, earned him a spot on the major league roster to start the year. But after Wilson returned from the injured list earlier this week, Clemens was squeezed out.
He appeared in just seven games this season, strictly as a pinch hitter or pinch runner, and failed to record a hit. Acquired in the 2023 Gregory Soto trade, Clemens batted .220/.265/.394 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs across 100 games for the Phillies last year.
Despite limited opportunities, Clemens became a bit of a fan favorite for his knack for delivering clutch hits — something the Phillies’ lineup could use right now.
KODY CLUTCH#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/8BYbtadUEB
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 19, 2024
From the Twins’ side, the decision to trade for Clemens came shortly after rookie standout Luke Keaschall broke his right forearm after being hit by a pitch, according to Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors.
It’s still unclear how manager Rocco Baldelli plans to use Clemens off the bench, and with Clemens out of minor league options, his spot in Minnesota could depend on how long Keaschall remains sidelined.
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