The Nationals have released veteran infielder Maikel Franco, reinstated second baseman Luis Garcia from the injured list, optioned righty Cory Abbott and selected the contract of top pitching prospect Cade Cavalli, per a team announcement. Cavalli’s looming promotion had been announced by the team earlier in the week. Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com first noted that Garcia was in the clubhouse and that Franco appeared to be packing up and saying his goodbyes, indicating a move was on the horizon.
Franco, who turns 30 today, has spent the season as Washington’s primary third baseman. The Nats signed the former Phillies top prospect to a minor league deal over the winter, and he broke camp with the team. Franco has gotten 99 starts, with the vast majority of that time coming at his customary position at the hot corner. While he’s been a durable lineup fixture, the right-handed hitter simply hasn’t produced much at the plate. Franco posted a .229/.255/.342 showing across 388 plate appearances, only connecting on nine home runs with a meager 3.1% walk rate.
It’s a second straight well below-average season for Franco, who managed a .210/.253/.355 line with the Orioles last season. Fellow journeyman Ildemaro Vargas, who was selected onto the big league roster at the start of this month, has a far more productive .317/.354/.450 showing in 65 plate appearances. The switch-hitting Vargas has taken hold of the third base job as a result, while Garcia is now in line to pair with top prospect CJ Abrams as the primary middle infield duo. That pushed veteran second baseman Cesar Hernandez to the bench and squeezed Franco off the roster.
A nine-year MLB veteran, Franco finds himself on release waivers. Assuming he goes unclaimed, he’ll hit free agency and be able to explore other opportunities elsewhere. It seems likely he’ll be limited to minor league offers, although he’d technically be eligible for another team’s postseason roster if he signs before the end of this month.
Tough one for Maikel – released on his birthday. I’ve never read a bad word said about him by a teammate. When he arrived in the big leagues for good in 2015, it looked like he had promise.
Don’t worry I’m sure Franco is on Zaidi’s radar.
Yes! Happy birthday, Maikel! Coming soon to the Bay Area!
If he was a Catcher or Reliever they would have a uni for him as he walked out the clubhouse
Birthdays stop really mattering for most adult males after 21.
hifl,
Birthdays only stop mattering when birthdays stop happening. See what I did there?
no…no I don’t
Don’t worry. It’s okay.
we Phillies fans had such high hopes for him. I even bought a Franco shirt. Mike Schmidt mused he’d win an MVP. for whatever reason he not only never got better, but regressed throughout his career.
A great BD present. He gets an additional month off while still getting paid.
He’s probably cooked. Man what a disappointing career.
You can disappoint me with $13.5M any day of the week.
That is what happens when you fall behind Ildemaro Vargas on the depth chart.
Happy Birthday Mr.Franco
Oh by the way we’ve just released you have a good one.
That’s a rough way to spend your bday
Happy Birthday now gtfo of the clubhouse
Too funny. He might have even thought it was a sick B-Day joke haha
Garcia needs to play every day from here on in, dude is 22yrs old and hitting .289 as a middle infielder
If you’re hitting .289 with an OPS above .700 and have a negative WAR, you’re probably doing something wrong
He was forced to play out of position at SS the last few months. Now that he’s at 2B, his WAR should start to tick up.
It is true he was playing out of position but he doesn’t hit many homers, doesn’t walk and doesn’t steal.
Tyler Clippard now Maikel Franco probably the first of several more pending free agents cut by the Nats. Releasing them in August gives them a chance to catch on with a contending team as stopgap injury replacement for the rest of the season and postseason if needed.
Sure it does, A slim chance. Not many contenders are lacking depth. They will all be hoping to finish the year on a minor league contract. Few if any, will provide depth on a major league roster, barring injury.
More importantly for the Nats, it opens up roster spots for them to audition guys for next year’s team. I’m sure they are not doing it just so these guys can play in the playoffs.
I’d be surprised if the timing of these releases didn’t involve some sort of discussion with these players and their agents. Maybe more than other teams the Nats under Mike Rizzo have seemed to try to cultivate a reputation as being a place that looks out for veteran players.
Blue Jays have done this a few times as well.
Alas, Maikel was done. Early on, it looked like Maikey might jump-start his career. But he faded. He was a stop-gap measure, though it is possible he produced more than Carter Kieboom would’ve.. It was nostalgic to see Clippard back, and in fact his Triple A numbers were excellent. Even at 37, he might yet latch on somewhere in the bigs.
Wouldn’t it be a hoot if Franco signs a minor league contract with a contender and winds up playing an important role in some team’s championship push?
A rebuilding team needs to play young and upcoming players, not over the age of 30 players who are having an off year.
Releasing on his birthday is just mean. why not do it yesterday?
As right as you are, I might even assume that they had nooo idea that it was his Bday and stuff like that is a mere afterthought to them (front office).
I was put on the unemployment line on my wedding anniversary. Pretty sure nobody was concerned I had to tell my wife on our anniversary I lost my job. I don’t think Franco is any different. He’s not entitled because he’s a baseball player. Things happen deal with it.
Doing better than the Detroit Tigers third baseman…..
Just sayin’….
So is everyone who plays for the school of the deaf and the blind.
I have absolutely no idea what they’re going to do with Candy. I mean, personally, I think he’s still mlb quality. But, it’s hard to justify this performance.
I can see some team picking him up, and him going off like Castellanos did with the cubs
Grossman turning around in like 2 days, makes me think we’re going to see a lot more firing in the Tigers overall organization. I’d give Jeimer a shot next year
It does seem bizarre that a player can perform so badly for one team and then just flip a switch with another. I think a lot of it is things just didn’t work out the way the team had hoped between all of the injuries to the starting pitchers to the ERod situation. Though i believe both hitting coaches need to go because this was not a team that didn’t have good hitters and thus hit badly, the entire starting lineup plus everyone called up in between are all having career worst seasons, that is not by coincidence
Makales navy will reservice next year! I guarantee He will get at least a minor league deal!
And be someones opening day 3B. He should definitely try to sign with the Reds. Look at the year Brandon Drury had before they traded him. Also guys like Scooter Gennett, Derek Deitrich, Tyler Naquin all went to Cincinnati and had good years
The guy deserved—long ago—to be DFA’d. But on his birthday?
Second straight year Franco has been released for his birthday. Franco should definitely reconsider this whole birthday thing…
Really? Actually, twice on his BD!
I think Maikel Franco and Cesar Hernandez are not as bad as broadcast. The Nats are trying out youth so they are bumped out.
Poor Maikel has either been released or sent down on his birthday 3 of the last 4 years.