In this week's edition of completely under-the-radar signings in baseball, it looks as though the Atlanta Braves have brought Maikel Franco back to the National League East.
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Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America released a list of all the minor league transactions that occurred from August 22 to August 31, and the only Braves' signing was Franco (h/t Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors). Longtime Braves writer David O'Brien had the same report.
It's not the most significant signing in the world — after all, Franco batted just .210 in 104 games for the Orioles this year before he was released on August 25 — but he could be a productive bench bat should he regain form. In the shortened 60-game 2020 season, Franco played every game for the Royals and maintained a respectable slash line of .278/.321/.457. He's also just a few years removed from three consecutive 20-HR seasons, from age 23 to 25 with the Phillies. Still under 30, Franco could give the Braves some bench depth and another bat as the playoffs draw near.
Then again, he might not make the MLB roster at all. Still, he is eligible for inclusion on a postseason roster because he was signed prior to September 1, as Polishuk noted. But... yeah, he might not make the roster.
And now, because I just had this random memory pop into my head, enjoy this absolute missile of a home run off of Franco's bat against the Braves back in 2016 (via MLB Film Room).
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