Yesterday it was announced that the Cincinnati Reds had traded third baseman Juan Francisco to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for right-hander J.J. Hoover. Francisco was out of options with the Reds and the Braves have been seeking additional infielders since Chipper Jones’ injury was announced.
Francisco had spent parts of the past three seasons with the Reds, racking up 169 at-bats at the major league level. Over that span, the 24-year-old maintained a line of .284/.331/.450.
During his six seasons in the minors, Francisco hit at a clip of .286/.317/.502. Last season during his 300 at-bats with Cincinnati’s Triple-A affiliate, Francisco posted an OPS of .874 with 15 home runs, 23 doubles and 50 RBI’s.
As spring training began, Francisco was poised to become a reserve for the Reds, expected to fill the role of lefty power bat off the bench. However, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reported yesterday that Francisco “did not endear himself to the Reds” for showing up to camp overweight and not properly rehabbing a calf injury he sustained this winter.
In exchange for Francisco, the Reds received minor league right-hander J.J. Hoover. The 24-year-old spent last season pitching between Double- and Triple-A, finishing the year with an ERA of 2.64 and 1.107 WHIP.
Hoover has been used both out of the bullpen and as a starter during his time in the minors, but made most of his appearances pitching in relief last season. Over his four seasons in the minors, Hoover has an ERA and WHIP of 3.14 and 1.200 with 9.5 SO/9 and 2.7 BB/9.
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