{"id":23217,"date":"2019-07-30T22:58:51","date_gmt":"2019-07-31T02:58:51","guid":{"rendered":"lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/\/?p=23217"},"modified":"2019-07-30T22:58:51","modified_gmt":"2019-07-31T02:58:51","slug":"philadelphia-phillies-should-trade-cesar-hernandez-maikel-franco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2019\/07\/30\/philadelphia-phillies-should-trade-cesar-hernandez-maikel-franco\/","title":{"rendered":"Philadelphia Phillies Should Trade Cesar Hernandez, Maikel Franco"},"content":{"rendered":"

Phillies Should Trade Hernandez and Franco<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It’s well-known that the Philadelphia Phillies need some major upgrades to have any shot of playing for a championship this year. The front office has been clear they will not move top prospects such as Adonis Medina<\/a><\/strong>, Spencer Howard<\/a><\/strong>, or Alec Bohm<\/a><\/strong>. If the Phillies don’t believe they will contend by trading their top prospects, they should flip the script and trade current Major League talent for more prospects. Cesar Hernandez<\/a><\/strong> and Maikel Franco<\/a><\/strong> both have uncertain futures, and it’s worth seeing what a legit contender would offer for either player.<\/p>\n

Cesar Hernandez<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Hernandez has been a solid, but unspectacular producer for the Phillies since he became a regular starter in 2015. However, his days with the team seemed numbered when the Phillies signed Scott Kingery<\/a><\/strong> to a six-year, $24 million deal<\/a> before Kingery had ever even played a Major League inning. Kingery has succeeded in a super-utility role, but the Phillies would definitely like him to settle into his natural spot at second base. This is one reason to move Hernandez.<\/p>\n

Another great reason for the Phillies to trade Hernandez is the potential prospect return he’d net. The Phillies have admitted<\/a> they are more than one player away from being a championship-caliber team, so why not add some prospects for the future? Teams in win-now mode almost certainly would move at least one, possibly even two mid-level prospects for the proven Hernandez.<\/p>\n

He offers good speed and is a career .277 hitter. His .353 career on-base percentage is very respectable. Hernandez is also a switch-hitter with experience batting at the top-of-the-order, something that would be valuable to playoff-bound teams.<\/p>\n

The Phillies will not and should not expect to get a top-ten prospect from a potential trade partner, but if they can land some pitching depth or a decent minor league outfielder, it’s worth making a move.<\/p>\n

Maikel Franco<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Franco’s name has come up in trade discussions several times over the last few years.\u00a0Once hailed as the Phillies’ top prospect<\/a>, he’s never totally put it together. There have certainly been flashes of greatness, but they’ve been overshadowed by questions about his commitment<\/a> and his low on-base percentage, which is .303 for his career.<\/p>\n

Franco had a particularly good start to the year. Back in April, he homered<\/a> in three of the first four games. He finished the month batting a modest .252 but homered seven times and drove in an impressive 22 runs. Many were predicting he was finally going to have his breakthrough year; however, he slumped in May.\u00a0In 93 plate appearances<\/a>, he hit .170 with one home run and eight RBI. Franco rebounded a bit in the months of June and July, hitting .267 and .250<\/a>, respectively, but he hasn’t been consistent enough to stay in the lineup on a regular basis.<\/p>\n

Franco would be an ideal addition for a playoff-chasing team looking for an infield bat. Although he has played the bulk of his games at third base, Franco can play first. He would also bring a lot of power to any National League teams looking for a bench bat. Phillies fans are well aware how much of an impact a bench bat<\/a> can have in the playoffs.<\/p>\n

A trade would be beneficial to both sides. Franco might fetch some pitching depth for the Phillies’ farm system and a change of scenery might help him further tap into his potential. With Phillies top-prospect, Alec Bohm, looming in the minors, the Phillies might as well get something for Franco before he’s delegated to a permanent bench role.<\/p>\n

Something Is Better than Nothing for Hernandez and Franco<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While the returns for Hernandez and Franco might not be earth-shattering, they could potentially add some much-needed organizational depth that could turn into something much more. Some prospects take a while to put it all together. Very often, you will see “the nobodies” of a trade turn into All-Stars. The Phillies might as well get something now before both players leave for nothing.<\/p>\n

Main Photo
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>