Six years ago the Phillies touted their top prospect Maikel Franco as the power hitting third baseman of the future. Replacing the likes of Cody Asche, Placido Polanco, and Michael Young Franco was the next cornerstone of a crumbling franchise looking for a face.
Fast forward and Franco is a career .255 hitter who can’t hit a breaking ball and fails to make even the most routine plays at third base.
For those reasons and more, it’s time for the Phillies to give the 24-year-old some time away from the big club.
In no way is this a permanent move back to Lehigh Valley for Franco, who can salvage his place in Phillies history and avoid becoming the next Asche or Dominic Brown.