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Franmil Reyes Elects Free Agency

By Steve Adams | May 11, 2023 at 1:34pm CDT

The Royals announced Thursday that outfielder/designated hitter Franmil Reyes went unclaimed on outright waivers following his DFA earlier this week. He’s rejected an outright assignment from the team in favor of free agency. He can now sign with any club.

Reyes, 27, signed a minor league deal with the Royals back in February and made the team’s Opening Day roster. He slugged a pair of homers early in the season but fell into a swoon that saw him fail to reach base in 20 straight plate appearances. The Royals optioned him to Triple-A at that point, with Reyes toting an ugly .186/.231/.288 batting line and a 36.9% strikeout rate.

That marks a continuation of a downturn that began in 2022, when Reyes hit just .213/.254/.350 with a 37.1% strikeout rate in Cleveland before being placed on waivers and claimed by the Cubs. He improved slightly in Chicago, slashing .234/.301/.389, but it wasn’t enough for the Cubs to keep him the roster. He was outrighted off the 40-man, elected free agency, and eventually signed this deal with Kansas City.

Prior to that ugly 2022 campaign, the 6’5″ Reyes was a feared middle-of-the-order hitter. He’s turned in a pair of 30-homer campaigns in his career, including a career-high 37 big flies in 2019. From 2018-21, he took 1540 plate appearances and batted .260/.325/.503 with 92 home runs between San Diego and Cleveland. Strikeouts were an issue even then, as he fanned in 29.5% of his plate appearances, but he had enough power and drew enough walks (9%) that he was still a well-regarded offensive player (19% better than league-average, by measure of wRC+).

Reyes’ struggles in 2022-23 figure to make it tough for him to land a big league deal that’d place him right back on a 26-man roster, but a team searching for some right-handed power could certainly take a flier on a minor league pact and hope to get Reyes trending back toward that 2018-21 form.

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Kansas City Royals Transactions Franmil Reyes

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View Comments (22)

Comments

  1. hyraxwithaflamethrower

    3 weeks ago

    A guy who strikes out too much, used to have a lot of power, and can’t field well? This has White Sox written all over it.

    Reply
    • DCartrow

      3 weeks ago

      Strikes out to much. Chi-town’s windy enough.

      Reply
    • Kruk it

      3 weeks ago

      Sounds like a perfect Phillie

      Reply
  2. Reynaldo

    3 weeks ago

    Maybe it’s time to elect the KBO or NPB instead.

    Reply
    • Oscar Gamble

      3 weeks ago

      Franmil struggles with breakfast no balls.

      Reply
  3. Michael Drake

    3 weeks ago

    Hello Gary Sanchez

    Reply
  4. Bloom's BFF

    3 weeks ago

    The mighty have fallen

    Reply
  5. Ha-Seong Kim

    3 weeks ago

    Hopefully a Padre again soon, albeit on a minor league deal

    Reply
    • damascusj

      3 weeks ago

      That’s a horrible idea, why would we need another player who strikes out altogether

      Reply
      • CrikesAlready

        3 weeks ago

        If he swings at strike three, it’s better than what the current lineup does… Watch them fly by, bat planted on their shoulder…

        Reply
        • SanDiegoSuperPadres

          3 weeks ago

          Freaking seriously, can one of the 3 batting coaches stop with the whole being patient nonsense!

          And for god sakes, enough with the bring him back to SD! That ship sailed long ago.

        • CrikesAlready

          3 weeks ago

          Is Merv Rettenmund still alive? I’ve heard him referenced lately, I swear he is but I’m not going to Google it. I’m trying to think of other batting coaches that worked on the “see ball, hit ball, drive ball” approach.

  6. MPrck

    3 weeks ago

    If you can’t play for the Royal’s, then it’s really over for you. We all understand wanting money, but you are expected to do something for it. If you can’t get well in the minors it’s time to hang it up. The Mets, now that’s another scary story too.

    Reply
  7. jvent

    3 weeks ago

    Maybe Mets, can’t be worse than Vogelbach lol

    Reply
  8. Pads Fans

    3 weeks ago

    Sign him to a minor league deal Padres. Bring the Franimal back in the organization.

    Reply
  9. Tom the ray fan

    3 weeks ago

    Let him go to KBO and become Eric Thames 2.0

    Reply
  10. longines64

    3 weeks ago

    I think he’s made more than enough to retire to a humble hacienda by the sea.

    Reply
  11. TDR

    3 weeks ago

    Pads should offer him a minors deal

    Reply
    • damascusj

      3 weeks ago

      No they shouldn’t

      Reply
  12. Dumpster Divin Theo

    3 weeks ago

    And I’ve elected to go with the McNugget happy meal

    Reply
  13. jbeerj

    3 weeks ago

    Replace Luke Voit.

    Reply
  14. JSC Cubbs

    3 weeks ago

    I see negativity towards a Padres reunion, but I don’t see the harm in it. An organization he was clearly fond of, see if the high PCL can rehab him, and if not.. what’s the harm? Cheap insurance for if Nelson Cruz goes down.

    Reply

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