Phillies Option Maikel Franco To Minor League Camp
By Ray Boyd
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- On Friday morning, the Phillies made the move to option Maikel Franco to minor league camp. Franco is widely regarded as one of the Phillies top prospects.
Franco played in 16 games for the Phillies toward the end of the 2014 season. He hit .179 during that stint and scored five runs, had 10 hits and five RBIs.
There was speculation that Franco would have the opportunity to battle with Cody Asche for the Phillies third base job in Spring Training. Franco has not provided much competition in that regard.
He is batting .200 in 30 at-bats this spring.
According to MLB.com, Franco is regarded as the third best prospect in the Phillies system. At 22, there is no reason to think that this is a horrible sign for Franco's future, but it does mean that Phillies fans will still have to wait to see some youthful talent that might provide them with some excitement.
The Phillies are admittedly going through a rebuilding phase, but it does not appear that Franco, a youthful player that fans hope will be a part of the next wave of winning, is ready to contribute just yet.
