Free Agent Profile: Franmil Reyes

Franmill Reyes Four years from 2018 to 2021 were solid. He had an unhealthy strikeout rate of his 29.5%, but he walked in 9% of his at bats. In his 529 games he hit 92 home runs and posted a .260/.325/.503 batting average. That output was 19% above the league average for him, as evidenced by his 119 wRC+. Also, his wRC+ was fairly stable, with him never going below 111 in any season in that period and topping out with 129.

He qualified for arbitration for the first time after that 2021 season, agreeing a $4.55 million salary with the Guardian. Unfortunately, his consistently aggressive production has steered away from him for the first time in 2022. His strikeout rate rose to his 33.2% and walk rate dropped to his 6.3%. His power also seemed to diminish as he hit just 14 home runs in a year after being on pace for about 30 a year early in his career. He finished the season with a .221/.273/.365 thrashline and his wRC+ of 80.

For a player like Reyes, fainting at bat was unacceptable. He brings nothing to the speed or defense departments. He has managed six stolen bases in his career so far, but his sprint speed was in his 20th percentile of eligible players last year. On defense, he has scored over 500 innings in the outfield in his 2018 and his 2019, but the results have been disappointing and he has been sent to the grass less frequently lately. He has spent less than 100 innings in both 2021 and 2022.

Given his one-dimensional profile, you’d have to click a plate to be worth it. Last year, his struggles were strong enough that the Guardians fired him in his August. The Cubs insisted and let him play string for them, but he was completely devastated at the end of the season and opted for free agency.

There’s no denying the 2022 season has been rough, but it may have been just temporary. Despite the struggle, he still took the ball away and Statcast placed him in his 92nd percentile for average exit speed last year. He also ranked 85th percentile for maximum exit velocity, 79th for hard hit percentage, and 80th for barrel rate. It seems that there are some left.

The league may have changed its plan of attack against Reyes. According to Statcast, his 33.7% of the pitches he saw in 2021 were curveballs. In 2022, he jumped to 40%, throwing less fastballs and off-speed pitches. Reyes batted .219 and slugged .521 in 2021, but dropped to .191 and .321 last year.

That change in approach may have led to his increased strikeouts. His tracking rate went from 25.8% for him to 28.4% for him. Not only did he chase more, but he performed worse when he did. His chase his contact rate has gone from 49.5% for him in 2021 to just 36% for him last year. This was up slightly from his 48.1% the year before, despite the fact that his 50.4% of pitches he saw were within the zone. He also hacked more throughout the year as his first-pitch swing percentage went up to his 34.5%, several ticks above the previous year’s 30% and his league average of 29.5%. Perhaps he was adding more curveballs to start his at bat. The pitcher also threw 61.3% of his first pitches in the zone, up from his 55.4% the year before. That means more first-pitch strikes and more first-pitch swings, but more strikeouts and less power.

All of this has led to a rather depressing year for Reyes, but it’s possible he’ll be able to adjust to this new offensive plan and return to being the hitter he was before. It looks like the tools are still there. If he can change his approach and cut a few strikeouts, he could be feared as a midfield slugger again. The fact that Reyes is primarily a designated hitter certainly limits his market, but he could still be a fit. Working as a platoon shortside may be an option. He was equally poor against both righties and lefties in 2022, but has come out stronger in platoon advantage than in his career, becoming a southpaw. It scored 125 wRC+ against it and 104 otherwise.

For a rebuilding team like the Reds, there are a handful of lefties in corner outfield/designated hitter combinations, including: TJ Friedl When Jake Fraley. in the meantime Joey Bott First base may be left open for players such as: Will Myers When Tyler Stevenson, possibly leaving Reyes a few at-bats. The Tigers now have a strong lefty outfield. Austin Meadows, Riley Green, Akil Badu When Kelly Carpenter Attacks from all over.Adding Reyes squeezes out more Miguel Cabrera It may be his final season, but he probably doesn’t have a ticket to full-time duty anyway.The Rangers currently don’t have a strict designated hitter. Mitch Garber When he’s healthy and not catching, he might play there.otherwise left handed Brad Miller His career 67 wRC+ against lefties could be a frontrunner.Diamondbacks have more left-handers, added Evan Longoria As a veteran right winger.he’ll probably DH while splitting third base Josh Rojasbut one injury elsewhere in the diamond means both are ticketed to daily infield duty. Seth Brown, Tony Kemp When Jace Peterson.

Nelson Cruise, another bat-only player, said he recently received an offer for 2023. He’s got a more impressive track record than Reyes, but he’ll be 43 next season and another bad year. It doesn’t take. He was asked for $6 million in arbitration pay before he was fired by the Cubs, according to his MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. The fact that Reyes cleared the waiver and was fully admitted suggests that no one wanted him at that price point, and he could have contracted for something below that figure. He also currently has four to five years of service in the MLB, so if he has a return season, he could be retained via arbitration in 2024. It may be sent to an adult, but players who have reached the age of five cannot choose the option without their consent. The new “year” begins on the 172nd, so Reyes is 4.115 and will cross that 5-year threshold in a few months at the major.