February 22, 2016
CLEARWATER, Fla. – And then there was one.
With the exception of righthanded pitcher Yoervis Medina, who is experiencing visa issues following the trade that sent him to the Phillies earlier this month, Maikel Franco is the only player that has yet to check into camp at Bright House Field. The Phillies will hold their first full-squad workout of the 2016 season today.
Franco was scheduled to arrive into Clearwater until later on Monday night.
Just as pitchers and catchers report to camp a day earlier than their first workout (last Wednesday and Thursday of last week, for the Phillies), almost every position player checks in at least on the day before the team’s first full-squad workout. But apparently it is not mandatory, according to manager Pete Mackanin.
“He’s due to be here tomorrow,” Mackanin said. “If he’s due to be here tomorrow, he’ll be here tomorrow. I’m not going to be critical of anybody who doesn’t come early. If we wanted guys to come two weeks ago we should have a longer spring training.”
The first-year manager said he’s not going to “nitpick” if Franco wasn’t at Bright House Field to have his physical on Monday, as many position players who weren’t already checked into camp did on Monday.
“Tomorrow is the required report date as far as I know; today there were physicals given,” Mackanin said. “If tomorrow is the date, we’re going to give him a physical in the morning. In my mind, I’m not going to nitpick that. Like I said, he’s not that kind of guy, but if he turns into a lazy and he doesn’t work like he always does, then I have an issue. But he’s going to work hard.”
According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, no major league player has to be in any camp until March 1. The CBA states that “no player shall be required to report to spring training workouts more than thirty-three (33) days prior to the start” of the regular season, which is on April 3 this year.
So even if Franco is not in camp on Tuesday for the first full-squad workout, he will not be late. It’s obviously not what his manager or general manager or anyone else in the organization wants to see – and it’s not expected to happen – but it wouldn’t be in violation of MLB rules, either.
But, again, Franco was expected to arrive into town late Monday night. So he should be on the field for the Phillies first full-squad workout on Tuesday at the Carpenter Complex.
“He’s in for a long season,” Mackanin said. “He played winter ball. Whenever he gets here as long as he’s here when he’s supposed to be, I’m fine with it.”
Franco, 23, hit .280 with 14 home runs, 22 doubles, 50 RBI and an .840 OPS in 80 games with the Phillies last season. He was among NL rookie leaders in several categories before suffering a small fracture in his left hand after getting hit by a pitch in early August.
Asked about it repeatedly on Monday, Mackanin said he had no issues that will be Franco the last of his position players to file into camp.
“I’ll be disappointed if during the season he doesn’t hustle, or if during the season he does something where he doesn’t show a great work ethic,” Mackanin said. “He has a great work ethic. That’s the one thing about him. He comes out early every day to take extra ground balls around 3 o’clock at home. He’s willing to work and he has a strong work ethic. As long as he plays hard, hustles and continues to prepare for games properly, I have no issues.”
