Philadelphia Phillies Should Add Jeff Francoeur To Final Roster

One of the benefits of signing a minor league contract is that it puts the bargaining power back in the hands of the player should his services be needed elsewhere. That applies to Jeff Francoeur, who is currently in the MLB camp of an old team, the Atlanta Braves.

There is a small chance the Braves will need him and take him North once they break camp, but there is a much larger chance that the Philadelphia Phillies, his most recent MLB team, will need him more. With projected starting outfielders Aaron Altherr and Odubel Herrera out for the opener with injuries (and Altherr for four months after that), the Phillies need the kind of stopgap power and defense Francoeur can supply.

Emilio Bonifacio and Nick Swisher probably will nail down the Braves’ final two reserve outfield spots, leaving Francoeur the odd man out. Swisher is owed $15 million and the Braves are not likely to eat that money just to extend Francoeur an offer.

When the Braves signed Francoeur, it did not appear that he would make the team but he at least put himself in the mix with a solid spring in which he has hit .308 with a home run and three RBI in 15 games.  Last year for the Phillies, Francoeur hit .286 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI. He left the team on good terms, knowing that the Phillies wanted to work some younger players into the lineup. Now they need him back.

If he is designated for reassignment to the minors, Francoeur can decline and become a free agent. That’s when the Phillies should pounce and go after him.