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.