Ben Francisco

Francisco was given a chance to lock down a starting outfield job in Philadelphia last season but a slow start and a very poor May forced him to the bench. Francisco has a little pop and some speed but doesn't offer much upside. He was traded to Toronto this offseason where he is expected to assume a reserve role. He could provide some value if injuries strike the Blue Jays in the outfield this season, but we would look elsewhere if you are speculating for potential breakout candidates.

Francisco spent the majority of last season on the Phillies' bench. Manager Charlie Manuel gave Francisco an opportunity to platoon with a struggling Raul Ibanez around midseason, but Ibanez's bat woke up around that time and Francisco went back to his reserve role. Francisco has displayed a mediocre eye at the plate during his time in the majors but he has a little pop and can swipe a few bags. He's a bit of a sleeper for this upcoming season as the Phillies are expected to have Domonic Brown in camp to compete for the starting job in right field. If Brown flops, Francisco could get an opportunity to play fairly regularly - likely in a platoon with Ross Gload or another outfielder. Francisco will need the stars to align, but this is a situation worth keeping an eye on this spring by those in NL-only and deep mixed leagues.

The Phillies picked up Francisco from the Indians along with Cliff Lee. He was obviously a secondary piece in the deal, but he wound up filling an important need for the Phils as they were lacking a solid right-handed bat off their bench. Francisco doesn't have a great eye at the plate, but he does have some pop and will swipe some bags. His ability to play all three outfield spots should allow him to pick up a decent number of at-bats this season making him worth grabbing in the endgame in NL-only and deep mixed leagues.

Francisco's ability to handle both lefties (.269/.348/.445) and righties (.265/.326/.436) keeps him out of a platoon situation but he also doesn't hit either one well enough to demand playing time. He struggled mightily in his last 20 games (.188/.300/.319) but he should be back competing for a job in spring. Shin-Shoo Choo's emergence could chip into his playing time however.

Francisco spent most of the season at Triple-A with a few cups of coffee at the big league level for the Tribe. He's not going to be a star, as he turned 26 in the offseason, but Francisco does offer a decent power/speed combination if he can work himself into a platoon situation. The right-handed hitting Francisco saw most of his action against right-handers while with Cleveland after displaying the ability to handle them at Triple-A (.906 OPS against righties in 264 at-bats versus an .813 OPS against lefties). With both Franklin Gutierrez and Jason Michaels having limited success against right-handers, Francisco could separate himself from a crowded outfield situation and grab a sizable chunk of a platoon situation. In that role, double-digit homers and steals are within reach.

Francisco took a major step forward in 2006. The 24-year old spent all year in Triple-A Buffalo, hitting .278 with a .799 OPS in 515 at-bats. He continued to learn the plate, garnering 45 walks to only 72 strikeouts and even swiped 25 bases. There is a distinct chance, with a good spring, that Francisco can travel north with the team when camp breaks.