Hey, good news kids! We’re getting closer to the return of the closer … Frank Francisco!!!
Aah, what’s with your collective groans. This is good news! And no, I’m not about to launch into some diatribe about why Bobby Parnell is the devil incarnate. This is good because Francisco will be healthy, and you can’t trade players when they aren’t healthy. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Who in their right minds would want Frank Francisco?”
Well, somebody who is in their very right mind actually would want Frank Francisco … and I have the proof:
Brennan Boesch to the Mets for Frank Francisco and cash ($1m). MAKE IT HAPPEN DD.
— David Tokarz (@tokarzontigers) March 6, 2013
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Yes indeed. There is a Tigers fan/blogger who thinks it is a good idea to acquire Frangag Frantsisk. Now while you’re letting loose with uncontrollable laughter (and I know you are because I did the same thing), this wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Tigers. Look, I’ve long said that Francisco is a reliever posing as a closer. And thankfully, the Tigers wouldn’t need him to close. They’ve got Bruce Rondon getting ready to close, and if he can’t get it done, the Tigers have a host of guys (Joaquin Benoit, Al Albuquerque) who can step in ahead of Frantsisk. And since they would only be relying on him for depth, it won’t be the end of the world for them when he inevitably gets injured punching a water cooler or eating a cheeseburger or something.
As for Boesch? He had a .799 OPS in 2011, and the Mets would be buying low after a down season in 2012 (.659 OPS). But why not buy low/sell high on another outfielder? At best, he could platoon in right field with Marlon Byrd and send Mike Baxter to the bench where he’s most effective. At worst, he fills in for Lucas Duda when he gets sent to Buffalo this season to work on his swing, or Kirk Nieuwenhuis he goes to the disabled list after trying to step on a leprechaun to improve his luck (and then finding out that the leprechaun is actually Justin Turner.) With the outfield in place now, what could it hurt?
The one thing about Boesch is that his UZR is at -22 for his career, so that would be something to hold your breath about. And while I was holding my breath I thought “well, even Duda’s UZR can’t be that bad”. Oh contrare … it’s -35. Yeah kids, -22 is a significant improvement over something. Let that rattle around your brain.
To only lose Francisco for Boesch? As horrendous as he was last season and as injury prone as he is now? This bullpen can be just as dysfunctional without Frantsisk as they were with him. And they’d be out from under some of his money. Besides, they can always replace him with Frankie Rodriguez.
“To come back and redeem myself would be great, because I’ve got to be realistic and honest. You would have to be real blind to not see that I fell when I was there. That’s not even a question. To be able to get one more shot and get it done would be great.”
Oh I’m just kidding. Sandy Alderson in his right mind would never sign any pitcher that walked Mariano Rivera with the bases loaded.
The solution to having a bullpen short one Frank and one Frankie is to not go to them. And if Matt Harvey keeps pitching like he did on Thursday against the Marlins (4 and 1/3 innings, 0 hits), then they might not have to worry about that for 20% of the season. Of course, you’d be wise to question the validity of any good outing against a lineup containing both Juan Pierre and Chone Figgins, but still.
(And thus it hits me like a ton of bricks … at 3:38 AM on the morning of March 8th, 2013, that the Marlins have Juan Pierre and Chone Figgins on their team. And I’m complaining about the Mets’ outfield? No wonder the lines are so long for Marlins season tickets.)
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