Apr 6, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pinch hitter Kevin Frandsen (28) celebrates getting the game winning walk off hit during the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies defeated the Royals 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The surprise and elation of Saturday night’s 4-3, come-from-behind, walk-off win is still resonating in the hearts of most Phillies fans. I mean, after most of Saturday night’s funeral dirge-like game, the end result felt like what we would routinely feel during the halcyon days of 2008, 2009 and 2010.

For virtually the entire game, the offense couldn’t do anything. It was so reminiscent of the moribund bats this team has put together for so much of the last two and a half years.

Then all of a sudden, thanks to some wildness by Kansas City closer Greg Holland and a three-run, two-out, bases-clearning triple from the forgotten Kevin Frandsen, the Phillies had their most surprising walk-off win since Jimmy Rollins’ game-winning double in Game 4 of the ’09 NLCS against the Dodgers.

It was old school, and it felt real good. And there was one man to thank for it.

Kevin Frandsen.

For the last year, Frandsen has been a revelation for the Phillies. He’s been a journeyman for most of his career, but upon being called  to play third base everyday in the middle of last year, the now-31-year-old Frandsen responded by hitting .338/.383/.451 with adequate defense at the hot corner. He even managed a WAR of 1.6 in 55 games in 2012.

Of course, the Phils went out in the offseason and signed Michael Young to play third this year. And, while he’s off to a slow start, it’s way too early to pull the plug on Young, especially when you consider all the LEADERSHIP and things.

In the meantime, John Mayberry and Laynce Nix are splitting time in right field, and not doing a really good job of it.

So, the honest question is, can Kevin Frandsen play the outfield at all?

Apr 6, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pinch hitter Kevin Frandsen (28) hits a game winning three run walk off double during the ninth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies defeated the Royals 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Of course, I’m well aware that “Frandsy,” as I would now like to call him, has not been a wildly productive hitter during most his career. He’s a lifetime .269/.324/.367 hitter with just 9 HRs in 838 plate appearances. As Crashburn Alley pointed out last year, Frandsen is likely not the .300 hitter he turned out to be last year.

He also does not have the power you’d like for a corner outfielder. Both Mayberry and Nix have a greater potential to provide the long ball than Frandsen would. And while neither Mayberry or Nix is what you would call a “plus” defender (I mean, they can’t ALL be Michael Youngs, can they?), both at least have experience playing the outfield on a regular basis.

If only they weren’t gaping black holes at the plate.

Frandsen has played eight games in his career in the outfield, five in left field and three in right. The last time he played a game in the outfield in the Majors was in 2010 with the Angels.

Needless to say, Frandsen would not be manning right field for defensive reasons.

Here’s what you can say about Frandsy, though. The guy is on some kind of roll. Almost every time he’s in there, he seems to notch at least one hit. And while he is the team’s best pinch hitter by far (Saturday night’s heroics prove that), perhaps he would provide more value if he got some starts in right field, provided he can actually play the position.

On Sunday, newly acquired Ezequiel Carrera gets the start in right. Frandsen, one night after his clutch, game-winning triple, will be on the bench.

The Phillies know better than anyone what Frandsen can do and what he can’t do. Perhaps he simply can’t play the outfield. If that’s the case, the bench is where he belongs until Young has proven over a longer stretch of time that he can’t hack it at third.

But if there is a chance Fransen can play a little bit of right field, why not get some more use out of his productive bat before the worm turns?

There are only so many hits left in that bat. Let’s get the most out of them while we can.

Michael Young
September 30, 2012;  Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

Ruben Amaro utilized the trade instead of throwing money at free agents, winding up with Ben Revere in center field and Michael Young at third base. While Young represents a potentially significant upgrade to Placido Polanco offensively, the aging Polanco continued to play above average defense throughout his tenure in Philadelphia, and should continue to aptly man the hot corner for the Miami Marlins this season.

Polanco’s range, represented best by ultimate zone rating, and ability to make more difficult plays, represented best by Baseball Prospectus’ fielding runs above average, have been declining as he ages, but despite this drop off, his defensive numbers still outdo Michael Young’s by a large margin.

The move to acquire Young given his defensive struggles baffles Phillies fans like me more and more given that Jimmy Rollins, a fantastic fielder in his own right, has shown reduction in his defensive statistics despite continuing to perform at an above average rate. Rollins’ great arm strength makes up for some of his diminishing range, but it won’t negate Michael Young’s abysmal defense at third. With ground ball pitchers like Roy Halladay, Kyle Kendrick, and John Lannan in the rotation, the Phillies infield will need to perform well to keep hitters off base as well as erase base runners using the double play.

Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

So the Phillies have an issue. Given the team’s need for above average defense in the infield, can the team overcome Young’s lack of defensive abilities in order to justify keeping his bat in the lineup?

The answer to that question is yes. While the idea of another platoon may sicken most fans, with the players the Phillies have in Spring Training, Charlie Manuel and his staff could use a mix of Freddy Galvis and Kevin Frandsen to make a defensive platoon at third base. Last season, injuries to both Galvis and Polanco, forced Kevin Frandsen to take over at third. In his time at the hot corner, Frandsen played average defense, putting up 2 defensive runs saved, and a positive UZR/150 of 0.3.

While the sample size may not be large enough to put a lot of confidence behind these numbers, Phillies fans could see from the “eye test” that Frandsen kept his cool, and made up for an average throwing arm by applying good positioning in the field and utilizing his soft hands to make clean transfers. His defense wasn’t Polanco-like, but he filled in dutifully, proving that he can play third base at the Major League level.

Frandsen represents one option – the other is youngster Freddy Galvis. Galvis played a mix of second base and shortstop in 2012 before simultaneously being suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball for taking a performance enhancing substance, and suffering a season ending back injury. While Galvis hasn’t played third base at the Major League level, his arm strength should be good enough, and his range, combined with Rollins’ at shortstop, would gobble up every ball hit to the left side. Almost all of Galvis’ value comes from his speed and defense, with very little deriving from his bat. In his time in the Majors in 2012, Galvis posted a meek 64 wRC+ and a lacking .217 true average.

On the other hand, Frandsen posted respectable batting numbers in his time with the big club in 2012. Frandsen posted a .317 true average, .362 wOBA, and a 127 wRC+. Okay, he put up these numbers in only 210 plate appearances, and he’s most likely due to regress a bit, but even if he regresses towards replacement level numbers, Frandsen’s offensive abilities should still beat out Galvis’.

Charlie Manuel and his staff have a pretty big decision to make regarding their backup infielders. Frandsen and Galvis both have the ability to fill in at 3^rd base and 2^nd base, but Galvis adds the ability to fill in for Jimmy Rollins at shortstop as well.

With Rollins isn’t not getting any younger, having a player on the roster who can play 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, and shortstop on the bench gives Charlie Manuel much more flexibility when deciding to give some of his veteran infielders a day or two off. The issue is the drop in offense that comes with Galvis, but might not be as evident with Frandsen. The Phillies’ biggest issue heading into the season will be their lack of offense, while pitching will be their strength, so having Frandsen on the roster might be the better choice.

Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Wait, though, before we anoint Frandsen as the de facto back up to Michael Young, a little creativity might make for a better situation. At 36 years old, Michael Young will need to be rested at least once a week if not more. With 2 of the 5 Phillies starters relying heavily on ground balls and very little on strikeouts, Manuel could play Galvis/Frandsen on days when John Lannan and Kyle Kendrick take the hill.

Kendrick’s of 45.8% and Lannan’s even higher career 53.0% career ground ball percentages mean that when they start, Phillies infielders will need to be on their toes on every pitch. Starting Galvis or Frandsen at third when Lannan and Kendrick start could enhance the Phillies’ chances of winning, but the better approach may be to start Young at third for the first few innings and then replace him with one of the better defenders in the 3^rd or 4^th inning.

While this may seem like a waste of a substitution, sinkerball pitchers tend to get more sink on their pitches as they tire, or as they pitch further into the game. Allowing Young to get an at bat or two in the beginning of the game and then replacing him with a better defender could defensively and offensively optimize the Phillies value at third base. Given Manuel’s track record there is very little chance of this happening. Look for Frandsen or Galvis to start more when Lannan or Kendrick takes the mound, and to come into the latter third of games as defensive replacements.

While some of this analysis and hypothetical lineup construction may seem like overkill, the Phillies will need show savvy decision making when choosing who plays where and when in order to end the season in the playoffs, let alone with an above .500 winning percentage. The team is already prepared to platoon John Mayberry Jr., Darin Ruf, Domonic Brown, and Delmon Young in the corner outfield spots, and Charlie Manuel should not be afraid to apply the same logic to third base. With dedication to the details, the Phillies might have a chance to get the most out of this squad and even surprise some people by sneaking into the playoffs.

Credit and thanks to Fangraphs and Baseball Prospectus for the data that went into this analysis.

*Fielding runs above average data isn’t split by position, but Young did record ~ 1,936 innings at 3^rd base from 2010 to 2013.

Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

‘Kevin Frandsen Deal’ reportedly going to Kevin Frandsen, insists sources

Kevin Frandsen!  Who is he, really?!

A passionate San Francisco 49ers fan, three decades old, and the San Jose State University all-time leader in hits.  His numbers with the team in 2012, blessed by the BABIP spirits, were hardy.  He’s been referred to as not “…the worst thing in the world.”  

And the Phillies decided that all of that, balled up and dressed and in a filthy uniform with nothing left to lose, was worth… what was it, Jerry Crasnick?

Kevin Frandsen deal with #phillies: Base salary of $850k with incentives that could bring overall payout to $1.2 million.

— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) November 9, 2012

According to CBS Sports, “Financial terms and contract length were not available,” which is odd, because I don’t know what else would really make up a deal.

So the Phillies are paying a little bit–little bit in the context of the Phillies’ payroll, not, like, a town or something–for a third baseman who found himself behind the right broken body and performed admirably well, despite having to step carefully around a quivering, fractured Placido Polanco.

But he’s got grit, and scrap, and dirt on his uniform, and a 2012 OPS of .834 in 210 plate appearances, and zero patience for his bats when they fail him, and all those things that no one wants to spend money on, which is nice, because we aren’t really spending too much money on them.

Frandsen is an effective player, waiting to be inserted into some situation that takes advantage of his skills.  You’ll hear more comparisons to who he isn’t than who he is, because he’s just Kevin Frandsen, that guy who got to play third and hit second a few times in that bizarre 2012 season between the Phillies 2007-2011 playoff run and their 2013-2097 playoff run.

“All I want is a chance.  This is the first opportunity I’ve had to play everyday in the major leagues. It would be interesting to see what I can do up here. In the minors, I’m a career .310 hitter. I think I can make an impact and help this team win.”

–Kevin Frandsen

Who doesn’t deserve a chance for $850,000?

Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE