Former Phillie Maikel Franco non-tendered after one season with Royals
Ex-Phillie Maikel Franco was non-tendered by the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, marking the second time in two years that the third baseman was let go before arbitration.
Franco had a solid 2020 season, slashing .278/.321/.457 and hitting eight home runs in 60 games. It was a nice bounce back from a difficult 2019 season when he hit just .234 with a .297 on-base percentage.
Tim Dierkes and Matt Swartz at MLB Trade Rumors projected that Franco was due to make somewhere between $4.5 million and $8 million. While he is likely to stick in the big leagues, it seems unlikely that he will get a contract with an annual average value that high.
Franco, still just 28, was signed by the Phillies in 2010 as an amateur free agent. He went on to spend parts of six seasons with the major-league club, making his debut in 2014 and impressing in his official rookie season in 2015.
Despite flashes, though, Franco never became the hitter that the Phillies hoped, with a .302 on-base percentage and inconsistent stretches. They ultimately cut ties with him after the 2019 season, and he signed with the Royals for $2.95 million.
Now, Franco will be searching for his third team in three years. He is not the only former Phillie who is available this offseason, as his former teammates Freddy Galvis and Cesar Hernandez are also free agents.
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