Phillies: Checking in on the players who left this offseason

Has there been a Phillies player anymore infuriating than Maikel Franco?

The Phillies had tremendous hope in Maikel Franco being their next great third baseman. After Scott Rolen left, the Phillies had seven different opening day third basemen from 2003-14. Franco would start four consecutive opening days at the hot corner with the team giving him every chance to succeed.

The 2015 season was Franco’s first chance to prove he was the next guy at third base, hitting 14 home runs in 80 games as a 22-year-old. The next year he set a career high with 25 home runs, but he struck out over 100 times and had his batting average drop 25 points to .255.

Philadelphia Phillies

Over the next three years Franco hit fewer and fewer home runs and twice his batting average was below .240, forcing the team to demote him to Lehigh Valley in 2019.

After a decade in the Phillies organization and parts of six seasons with the major league team, the Phillies non-tendered Franco and let him find a new home where he could hopefully find the swing that many thought, including Mike Schmidt, could turn him into an MVP candidate.

By the end of December, Franco signed a one year deal worth $2.95 million with the Kansas City Royals. It gave Franco a low-key environment where he could attempt to rebuild himself as a player and earn a bigger paycheck down the line.

Now almost 28 years old, Franco is doing much of the same in Kansas City, hitting .244 with a team-high five home runs in 22 games.

Power will keep players in the big leagues for a long time, but Franco might find himself bouncing around last place teams on one year deals at the rate he’s playing. If he wants that big paycheck and an opportunity to be part of a team’s future, he needs to get that batting average up and be a more consistent player.