Philadelphia Phillies reach the end with Maikel Franco

The time has finally come, as the Philadelphia Phillies have sent Maikel Franco to the minors.

It has seemingly been a matter of time before Maikel Franco‘s time with the Philadelphia Phillies came to an end. There had been speculation that the Phillies would look for an upgrade at third over the past couple of years, either at the trade deadline or in free agency. Their much publicized pursuit of Manny Machado certainly suggested as such, even though the front office could claim they were simply looking at one of the best players available.

And yet, it always seemed as though the clock was ticking for Franco. His production was never what the Phillies had hoped for, and his defense never came around. Now, the clock may have struck midnight, as Franco was optioned to the minors on Sunday, with Brad Miller being recalled in his place.

A consensus top 100 prospect prior to the 2014 and 2015 seasons, Franco was a polarizing player in the minors. While he was considered to have a solid hitting profile, there were questions about his defense. In fact, Franco had spent time at first in the minors, suggesting that he would not remain at the hot corner.

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Instead, his bat never quite developed. In his 2479 major league plate appearances, Franco produced a .249/.302/.431 batting line, hitting exactly 100 homers and 106 doubles. This season, he had slumped to a .231/.296/.405 batting line, although he had 15 homers in his 368 plate appearances.

Most of that damage was done in the first month of the season. Since May 2, Franco had produced a .217/.272/.354 batting line with only eight homers, as the streaky Franco showed no signs of righting the ship. Now, his future with the Phillies is very much in question.

As he is eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason, it is likely that Franco will be allowed to test free agency. That may actually prove to be beneficial, as a change of scenery could be what Franco needs to jumpstart his career. At just 27 years old next year, Franco still has time to turn his career around.

If he does, it is not likely to be with the Philadelphia Phillies. As he was optioned to the minors, his time in Philadelphia seems to be nearing an end.