The Philadelphia Phillies are trading their long-time minor league player to the Los Angeles Angels

What moves the Philadelphia Phillies make this offseason will have a big impact on whether or not they reach their ceiling for winning a World Series title.

Although this squad is filled with high-profile names, there is a clear need. So the way Dave Dombrowski and his front office approach things over the winter will signal how things could go in the coming years.

With that in mind, the Phillies just made their first major roster move of the offseason.

In an announcement on the team's social media page, Philadelphia has traded Scott Kingery to the Los Angeles Angels for cash.

The infielder is best known for being handed a six-year, $24 million contract extension in March 2018 before he had even played a major league game.

A second-round pick in the 2015 draft, Kingery rose quickly by performing well in most of his minor league appearances. He was named the 2017 winner of the Paul Owens Award, given to the best player in the Phillies' farm system.

Philadelphia used the newly minted up-and-coming infielder immediately during the 2018 season, playing him in 147 games. Unfortunately, his performance wasn't enough with a .226/.267/.338 slash line, eight home runs, 33 extra hits and 35 RBI, leaving his OPS+ at 61.

However, Kingery improved the next year, suggesting he could be the future of this franchise.

However, things went downhill for him in 2020 after he contracted COVID-19 and had to stay away from his teammates. When he returned, the illness and other injuries he suffered contributed to him having a poor season.

After that, the once-emerging infielder played just 16 games for the Phillies, including none in the last two years.

Philadelphia trading him away signals the end of a very strange saga that seemed to be heading in that direction for a long time.