Five Phillies players to watch in spring training this year

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 01: Maikel Franco #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a three-run home run against the New York Mets during the fourth inning of a game at Citizens Bank Park on October 1, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

Maikel Franco

The time has come for Maikel Franco. With just one season standing between now and the offseason of Manny Machado, Franco has to show something if he has any hope of staying in Philadelphia.

So far, Franco has done nothing to prove that he has a long-term future in Philadelphia. After disappointing in 2016, Franco only got worse last year as he had a .230/.281/.409 line. He was worth -0.5 fWAR according to Fangraphs, the worst among qualified third baseman. While Franco did hit 24 home runs and drive in 76 runs, 74 players hit more home runs and 75 drove in more runs.

With Philadelphia showing active interest in trying to trade for Machado during the winter meetings, they are likely part of the crowd of teams set to throw all their money at him next offseason. Franco needs a strong season to stick around, starting off with a good spring.

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