St. Louis Cardinals: Five low cost high reward free agents to sign
By Travis Koch
Maikel Franco
Maikel Franco posted the best numbers of his seven-year career in 2020 with the Kansas City Royals. Playing in all 60 games, he slashed .278/.321/.457 with eight home runs and 16 doubles. His 34.2 O-Swing% was his lowest since 2017, contributing to an impressive 15% strikeout rate.
Talent has always been within Franco, who was the Philadelphia Phillies’ #2 prospect in 2013 and peaked at #54 in MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospect Rankings. Power was his premier tool, and he showed an ability to hit for average in the minor leagues. He hasn’t lived up to expectations at the major-league level, though this season has him trending in the right direction.
Franco, 28, is no budding superstar, but he should strengthen a St. Louis Cardinals’ offense that finished 28th in runs scored in 2020. He’d undoubtedly provide more power to a third base position that reaped a sub-.400 SLG for the Cards this year.
In terms of affordability, Maikel Franco’s price tag falls within the $2-4 million range. He made $2.95 million with the Royals in 2020; his strong showing this season may earn him a marginal salary increase in 2021.
The St. Louis Cardinals can hire him for cheap. They would gain a power line drive bat capable of fitting each segment of the batting order.