Maikel Franco Agrees to One-Year Deal with Baltimore Orioles

Maikel Franco is flying high…

The 28-year-old Dominican professional baseball infielder has agreed to an $800,000, one-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles.

Maikel Franco

Franco hit .278 with 16 doubles, eight homers and a team-high 38 RBIs for the Kansas City Royals during last year’s coronavirus pandemic-shortened season.

Franco would get a $200,000 performance bonus if he reaches 400 plate appearances. He would get a $250,000 assignment bonus if traded.

He earned $1,092,593 in prorated pay from a $2.95 million salary.

Franco has a .253 average with 110 homers and 381 RBI in seven major league seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies (2014-19) and the Royals.

He was originally signed for the Phillies by Koby Perez, now Baltimore’s senior director of international scouting.

Maikel Franco Agrees to One-Year Deal with the Kansas City Royals

Maikel Francois officially Royal-ty

The 27-year-old Dominican professional baseball third baseman has agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal with the Kansas City Royals, according to ESPN.

Maikel Franco

Franco, who became a free agent when he was non-tendered by the Philadelphia Philliesearlier this offseason, is expected to be the Royals’ everyday third baseman.

Hunter Dozier(.279, 26 homers, 84 RBIs) primarily manned third base (91 starts) for the Royals last season, but Kansas City will take advantage of his versatility and move him around the field in 2020. Dozier also had starts at first base and in the outfield last season.

Franco hit .234 with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs in 123 games last season for Philadelphia.

Before 2019, Franco had hit at least 22 home runs for three consecutive seasons for the Phillies, the only team he has played for in six major league seasons.

He is a .249 hitter with 102 home runs and 343 RBIs in 656 career games.

MLB.comwas first to report to Franco’s agreement with the Royals.

Carlos Santana Agrees to $60 Million Deal with Philadelphia Phillies

Carlos Santana is crossing state lines for a big paycheck…

The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to a three-year, $60 million deal with the 31-year-old professional baseball player and free agent first baseman, according to multiple reports.

Carlos Santana

Santana became the first to reach a deal among the nine free agents who last month rejected $17.4 million qualifying offers from their former teams.

Santana has played his entire Major League Baseball career with the Cleveland Indians, who acquired him in a 2009 trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Santana has developed into a consistent run producer, and after catching and playing third base, he has become one of the league’s best fielding first basemen. He was a Gold Glove finalist this year.

The switch-hitter batted .259 with 23 homers and 79 RBIs last season for the American League Central champion Indians. He has a career .249 average with 174 home runs in eight seasons for Cleveland.

Santana will join a rebuilding Phillies lineup that also includes slugger Rhys Hoskins, outfielders Aaron Altherr, Nick Williams and Odubel Herrera, and third baseman Maikel Franco.

Nearly 150 of Santana’s 571 at-bats last season came in the leadoff spot, and with a career on-base percentage of .365, he can help provide RBI opportunities for Philadelphia’s other top hitters in the middle of the order.

Santana’s departure is a big loss for Cleveland, which led the AL with 102 wins during the regular season but lost to the New York Yankees in a Division Series.

Santana has a .213 average with four homers and eight RBI in 21 career postseason games.

The addition of Santana would be the second major deal completed Friday by the Phillies, who also traded shortstop Freddy Galvis to the San Diego Padres in a move that likely opens the shortstop job for top prospect J.P. Crawford.