I will be the first to admit that I was bothered when outfielder Jeff Francoeur made the Phillies Opening Day roster. I did not feel that that his Spring Training performance merited a roster spot, especially when there were young players to play. I now think that I was wrong.
Francoeur has been a nice piece for a young Phillies team. Besides the occasional big hit (like yesterday's walk off home run), Francoeur appears to be a positive presence that has helped the locker room and its young players. It would not be too far a reach to conclude that Francoeur's bat (that includes a .500 batting average in 16 at bats as a pinch hitter) would be helpful to a contender. But is Francoeur not worth trading?
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports writes:
This might sound crazy, but the Phillies will not necessarily trade outfielder Jeff Francoeur. Think about it: The value Francoeur has to the Phillies is probably greater than any middling prospect that he would bring in return.
Rosenthal might be right: there might not be much to offer. But the Phillies could take a chance on someone that ultimately works out.
Think back to 2013. The Phillies traded utility infielder John McDonald, whom they acquired during the season, to the playoff-bound Boston Red Sox. Of all the types of trades the Phillies could make, an aging utility infielder who was batting .174 at the time, the Phillies landed reliever Nefi Ogando.
At the time, I called Ogando a "wildcard". The Phillies took a chance on a low-level player who had an outside chance of becoming something. As it continues to develop, the Phillies appear to have done really well in that trade. Ogando was recently promoted to AAA Lehigh Valley after posting a 2.86 ERA at AA Reading, where opponents hit .203 off of him. So far in six outings and eight innings at AAA, Ogando has not been scored upon.
The rebuilding Phillies should cash out any asset they have and see what they can get back in a trade. Some might work out, some might not. So, if Francoeur can land the Phillies another "wildcard" class A player again, it's better if the Phillies give it a shot than not.
