The Phillies have optioned Maikel Franco to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in a surprising move, the club announced. Brad Miller has been activated from the 10-day injured list to take Franco’s place on the 25-man roster.
Perhaps Franco’s demotion shouldn’t be all that eyebrow-raising. After all, he hasn’t done much to warrant a roster spot. His .231/.296/.405 slash translates to a 70 wRC+, easily the worst offensive output by any of the league’s 24 qualified third basemen. On top of that, Franco doesn’t come with a strong defensive reputation at the hot corner, making his woeful offense all the more troubling. Tied for the National League’s final Wild Card spot, evidently the Phils decided they could no longer tolerate such a lack of production.
Nevertheless, the Phillies have run with Franco as their starting third baseman for more or less four years. He’s never been all that productive, but the club has never gone out and acquired a definitive upgrade, suggesting they still believed in him long-term, at least somewhat. Moreover, Franco’s putrid numbers at the plate seem a bit misleading. His walks and strikeouts are both at career-best levels (although the walks may be a result of his frequently hitting eighth in an NL lineup), and he’s no doubt unlucky to have a meager .228 BABIP.
Evidently, the organization felt whatever positive regression might be forthcoming for Franco at the plate wouldn’t be meaningful enough to wait for. Franco will arbitration-eligible for the third time this winter and is tracking as a probable non-tender candidate, although he’ll have two months to right the ship.
Interestingly, Philadelphia will move Scott Kingery to third base in Franco’s stead, tweets Matt Gelb of the Athletic. A former second base prospect, Kingery has MLB experience all around the diamond but has played mostly center field this season. Presumably, Roman Quinn will get a longer leash in center with Kingery back on the dirt.
Philadelphia will also welcome back the 29 year-old Miller, a longtime utilityman for the Mariners and Rays who had a fantastic showing with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate earlier in the season. He offers a left-handed bat with some power and more defensive versatility than Franco, but defensive metrics have never been fond with his glove at any position and he brings a significant amount of swing-and-miss.
that i did not expect
Bohm has been tearing up the minors at 3 different levels this year. He’s the future and Franco does not consistently help the 2019 Phillies. I just hope it’s for pa’s and not an attitude thing….
So jetpax becomes the 3bman and Hasely/Dickerson/Quinn take over LF/CF.
“Hasely/Dickerson/Quinn take over LF/CF.”
One out of those three can sometimes hit like an MLB player.
Both Hasely and Dickerson have been playing well this year.
Haseley was a top 10 pick, Dickerson has had a decent career and Quinn was forced to abandon switch-hitting (and has failed) Since Quinn began switch-hitting 2 weeks ago, results have been better. Stop trying to be “cute” and at least do some research…..
Is Roman Quinn going to be the starting center field for a contending club? Decisions like that are why 29 other clubs laugh at MacFail and Klentak.
Jason Heyward started for a championship club. At least Quinn doesn’t have 200 MM headed his way.
Much better stats than Kang this year, maybe Pirates will want LOL.
I was actually hoping the Phils could snag Kang to take over the Sean Rodriguez role…
Another sign that Franco’s time in PHI will end soon. I still see him in either a Padres or Rangers uni in 2020.
Why SD…?
The Padres are set at third for a long, long time.
The Phillies should have been set with that very same Padres player.
Harper and Machado would be like Pujos and Miggy right now on the same team in that case. The ones going to hurt enough.
Randon will be a FA in the fall. That would be a nightmare scenario for the Nats.
i wouldnt trade him if its only for peanuts. still has 2 years of control and still plays great defence and can at least hit better then Andrew Knapp.
I think the statistics behind both his offense and defense combined would beg to differ regarding his ability to provide a combined game that would keep him at 3rd for the Phils.
Bottom line…his WAR for almost 6 years in the majors is pretty lackluster at best.
If only he could play against the Mets every day he’d be an all star
Agreed, not for peanuts, as he has “potential” still. But at this juncture, a singleA lottery pick is all we can hope for…
He clearly doesn’t play great defense. He’s only been a league average hitter twice in five seasons. Over half of his walks this year have been intentional, meaning he’s a better hitter than the pitcher but not by much.
Sad, but has been a long time coming….
Franco has been a frustrating player. I liked his overall game, but he has screamed “may succeed in a new environment” Maybe another organization can help him…yet again Galvis is still Galvis….another guy I liked.
As a 40 year Philly fan, only wish the 26yr old (yup only 26) the best and hopefully, they can get a lottery pick for him.
you clearly haven’t seen Galvis’s numbers this year. surpised they didnt re-aquire him at the deadline.
I have. And they’re not leaps ‘n bounds above his career avg…I still love him as an 8th guy. He can/could play 7 spots on the field and get 300pa’s…
You’re telling me Franco should be optioned over Sean Rodriguez??
Another step toward the debut of team savior Alec Bohm to give this team the shot of adrenaline it needs to get into October…
Do the Phils have enough ball$ to bring him up this year…? IMO would be a surprise that I could get behind.
I really think so at some point. He’s only a couple months younger than Hasely and OPSing over .800 at every level of the minors, though not quite as dominant in AA right now.
Reading needs to fire their hitting coach. i know the jump to AA is supposed to be the hardest, but its a heck of a hitter’s park and no one there can hit this year. even Haseley struggled off the start after preforming well last year.
Also keep in mind his AA numbers are just as good if not better than his A and A+ ball number once you have accounted for a horrible dip in BABIP which by all accounts seems to be poor luck driven and not weak contact driven. I would love if he is up in September, but I think they will hold him back until May of next season to manipulate service time,
Alec Bohm is being challenged currently at the AA level. There is no way he’s ready for the big team and I’ve seen him play live twice in the last week. A reasonable progression would be a promotion to AAA next season and a mid-2020 call up. There remains a serious question if he can ever be a big league 3rd baseman. He has to answer that question. In my mind, he will be a legitimate hitter if he is not not rushed or develops bad habits.
The talk of further promotions this year (he’s had 3 already) is nonsensical and does him no good. I don’t think he’s a great talent but he can be a very good one.
i was thinking that bohm would be promoted to AAA by 8/8/19 Then promoted to mlb in sept. but now with franco going down to AAA where is bohm going to play. franco could move to 1B and have bohm play 3B or he could get some ABs at 1B.
either way it probably wouldnt matter the phils will be home it oct.
You might as well have picked up Castellanos and played him at 3B.
Bohm has a 1B/LF look to him.
See my comment below. I agree.
Really shouldn’t be that surprising. Odd man out, and might as well let him work through things at LV.
With Haseley playing well, and now Dickerson in the fold (and Bruce coming back), there’s much less need for Kingery to play the OF.
Why not option Sean Rodriguez instead?
It’s about time
Way overdue. He’s just never been in shape. Lazy at-bats. Lazy swings with a full-throttle power home run once every 20 games. He doesn’t take care of his dreads properly like Roman Quinn or Archer. They honestly look abominable. Phillies just need to tighten up all around and this is a much-needed first step. You can’t miss out on a wild card spot to the Nationals
With those Dreads…surprised that he wasn’t the face of the franchise alongside Odubell!
Somewhere Mike Schmidt is laughing his butt off!
What do dreads have to do with it?
dude, you have to take care of your dreads, otherwise they look like frayed spaghetti. it’s a culture thing. I would know, and you wouldn’t.
Guys a bust against everyone but the Mets
Odds that Dave Dombrowski is hired to run Philly within the next 2-3 years? Underperforming, big budget team with talent in need of the finishing touches seems to be right up his ally.
No farm to deal away.
I can see that. And funny joke. Though to be fair, Red Sox didn’t trade away the farm this year.
Because chavis is playing well at the big league level and anyone else is hardly a great top prospect
They didn’t have a farm to trade. DD’s approach to roster building isn’t sustainable but he’s won everywhere he’s been and has two rings to show for it. You kinda sign up for a window knowing a long rebuild awaits the other end. (circa Marlins and Tigers)
i don’t remember him winning in Detroit?
He won plenty in Detroit. Not a championship, but was consistently in the playoffs and won a pennant. Tons of teams will sign up for that type of success.
lol. I never understood the “McFail” hiring.
Should have happened sooner – as in back in 2017.
Adam Haseley will share time with Roman Quinn in CF until Jay Bruce returns. I’d then expect Haseley to be optioned and Dickerson to take over in CF. Working with a 4-man bench is really difficult. Can’t wait until the roster size bumps up to 26 next season.
Why Franco? What has Sean Rodriguez done to earn a spot on this team over Franco? Heck even Miller. This move is baffling and troubling. Bohm isn’t close to major league ready and Franco is by far the best defensive 3rd baseman on this team. I love Kingerey, but he doesn’t have Franco’s arm.
Franco won’t get consistent pa’s now. He’s had 4+ yrs to impress, hasn’t happened… So now….Dickerson in LF, Haseley/Quinn in CF, Kingery @3b. Rodriquez as supersub and Miller as well. Get Franco pa’s and improve trade value….Not personal, just business.
I agree. This is Kapler and Klentak doing their best to ruin this franchise. I have been a devoted fan since the 70’s. I am not happy about this. Like Ibanez and Utley, maybe I should root for the Dodgers. They were lucky the Phillies took Kapler out of their system. I am so angry I could spit! Good luck to Mikey. I hope he joins the Mets and beats up on Philly.
Well, they finally pulled the plug. They have been unhappy with Maikel’s play from the start. Just never made the adjustment with consistency.
For those of you who think Bohm is the future, he might be but not at 3rd base. I’ve read his glove is just average at best.
The Phillies might go all in on Rendon if he isn’t extended by the Nats.
The team has 3 huge needs. Pitching, pitching and 3rd base.
Did I mention they need pitching? Very little in free agency next year. Might have to trade for arms.
.
Bohm may not be the longterm answer at 3b, but he’ll be given a year or 2…..
Bohm will be fine at 3B, or at least an upgrade defensively over Franco. He will be given several season to develop. Plus they don’t really have room with Hoskins back at 1B and Cutch and Harper in the corners.
Should have traded him to SD when they were asking all off-season and finally pivoted to Macahado due to the unwillingness to deal him. Franco to the Padres was written a lot this offseason, ah well.
As someone who watches Franco play everyday, where the h*ll are you getting your information that he’s not strong defensively at 3rd? That’s absolutely ridiculous. He consistently makes great stops, catches and throws to first. His defense was never an issue, you should get your facts straight
Hell yeah man! I thought this exact same thing! Franco is a good defensive 3rd basemen! I have no idea where they got that
For his career, Franco has -29 DRS at third base (admittedly, he’s rated as average this year). It’s possible the defensive metrics aren’t being entirely fair to him- they’re not perfect, especially for infielders- but that’s the basis for my statement.
How does this impact his service time and eligibility?
My guess is it won’t. Franco’s at 3.170 years right now, which means he needs only 2 more days on the active roster to get to four full years. Even if he’s not back in August, I would imagine he’d come back in September when rosters expand.
Like I noted in the article, though, I don’t expect that to matter much for Philly, who seems likely to nontender him at this point.
Moved out of Philly @15yrs ago (by my choice to Hawai’i but NOT my choice to Chicago), but have had packages since then to watch games…..
He has had time to prove if he is a first division starter. He is not. Clearly very talented…
That is why I said he is a “change of scenery guy”.. As far as what has been written, he’s a decent clubhouse guy, so maybe he can turn it around with a new hitting coach.
i totally agree 1millon percent.. his offense was the issue. when he hits the ball to right field to center field he is locked in but when pulling the ball on every swing, he slumps.
Sending him down destroyed his trade value, or whatever was left of it
Explain yourself
He cannot because no one has trade value this year because no one can be traded until the offseason.
He may very well get non tendered.
Franco has never been a consistent hitter.He is not disciplined enough,and swings at too many bad pitches.
It is too bad because he does have some talent and maybe a change of scenery will bring more of it out of him.
Phillies probably have already typed up their offer to Rendon
Sean Rodeiguez 0 for everything last night and today grounds into a pinch hit double play with the tying runs on base. So glad we kept him over Franco. This organization confounds me. Tough team to watch this year. The offensive struggles are the real issue.
Franco has 15 home runs this year. As many as Realmuto and a lot more than man-bun Rodriquez.
Such a shame. Jayson Stark said he expected this to be Franco’s last year in Philly and for them to make a push for Rendon. So what does that mean for Bohm?
A shame. Jayson Stark said Phils would pursue Rendon What does that mean for Bohm?
Unfortunately, Bohm can’t field. So he’ll likely become an OF or 1B.
Bohm can hold his own. I do think he is better suited for 1B, but with Hoskins, Cutch and Harper, where are you moving him?
If they get Rendon,which they may do with the funny money the owner has,then Bohm becomes a trade piece for pitching.
Rodriguez and Miller may are versatility but they are Mendoza single hitters. Franco is a 20 homer annually in a home run ball park. The Phillies are done, Next Year. Their entire Front office, Coaching Staff, Farm Staff and fluky to the owner must be fired. Billy Bean has never won any championships. Kapler can not manage a clip board or a T-Ball team!!!!!!
The Mets are breathing on the Phillies backs.
With all due respect jp,I was not even a singles hitter.
Let’s Go Mets! Kapler has ruined the Phillies for me.
“Franco will arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter ”
I don’t agree with this at all.
Ah yeah, my bad, moving a little too quickly. Thanks for the heads up!
Gabe doesn’t like Franco he’s against him.I think the problem with the Phillies is it’s not much fun to play for Gabe Kapler.
Too much talent on this team to be mismanaged by inferior talking head management!
Hate this move. Just send down the only real third basemen you got. Franco is underrated defensively and gets way to much heat for the Phils struggles this year. Krapler is the one that needs to go. This team won’t win with him at the helm. He just messes with things way too much. Even with injuries, this team should be closer to the Braves than they are. I can’t see Kingery’s arm sufficient for third on a daily basis. Any gains from him in lineup will be negated by his defense there. This team is very frustrating and I really feel it reflects on Gabe” I’m not Dallas F***N Green” Kapler…..
AGREE. Kapler is a cancer in the clubhouse.
So the question really is, will Quinn or Miller outperform Franco? Doubtful. I sure hope Franco gets s shot with another team. They demote him a week after the deadline instead of trading him for a useful receiver. I hope he refuses the assignment and elects free agency because it wouldn’t be long before another team offers him a contract.
Stupid typos. Reliever, no receiver.
Eight hole hitter with a .235 ba, 15 home runs and 47 rbi. Studs Hoskins and Harper are hitting .250, sending them down too? Phillies deserve to be under .500 and 4th place by September.
Maybe Franco’s defensive metrics are so bad because of bad defensive positioning, shifts and ground balls consistently being peppered at him at 120 mph because the pitching is so bad? I’m a Mets fan, send him our way for Familia!
Not sure I get this move. He was only 24th of 24 qualified 3B in wRC+ and WAR. I mean that’s pretty good. And overall, there were only 144 players (18 full line-ups) better than him in that respect too. So this is quite surprising.