Yankees sign Ben Francisco to minor league deal
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Mar 11, 2013 
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The Yankees have added a right-handed outfielder to the mix. Today they agreed to a minor league deal with Ben Francisco.
“We struck out on him as a non-roster invite this winter (and he went) to Cleveland,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “Since then, Cleveland signed Swish, Cleveland signed Michael Bourn. Circumstances and opportunities over there may have changed for him, and circumstances and opportunities here have opened up.”
Francisco opted out of his Indians deal this morning and was with the Yankees by the afternoon. He’s expected to be in camp tomorrow and could play on Wednesday. He was actually having a great spring with Cleveland hitting .400 with six doubles, five walks and four strikeouts through 20 at-bats.
In his career, Francisco has played some center field — mostly in the minors — but has primarily been in left and right. He’s a career .257/.326/.425 hitter.
“He could become a quality bench guy for us,” Cashman said. “I think he’s definitely worthy for competition, so that’s what we’re going to take a look at.”
Associated Press photo
Blah
whoopdie doo
Unless he was hired to replace Cashman as the GM, I don’t get it.
Nice POH by Joseph
La di da …la di da
@BryanHoch: Derek Jeter’s response to Cashman’s interest in @RealCJ10: “Unless we have a golf team, I don’t think there’s a reason to call him up.”
I could see the Yankees taking Ben north because he can play all 3 OF spots. I’d still rather go with Almonte/Mesa/Mustelier, especially because Ben is a righty and would likely replace Mesa or Mustelier.
LMFAO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Diaz, Rivera and now Francisco………………..
And the hits just a keep on comin !
if you throw enough crap against the wall sooner or later something will stick..what a joke & it’s been this way all off-season
I think Mustys chances to make the team pretty much soley depend on whether they think he can play 3B or not
Maybe Ben signed a better minor league deal than Diaz or Rivera and he will provide depth in AAA.
like the way they keep picking up garbage that other teams don’t want..it use to be the other way
blake March 11th, 2013 at 3:47 pm
New thread to announce Cashman’s latest scrap heap victory
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Blake’s jabs are never nasty but they are straight vicious.
Jerkface says:
March 11, 2013 at 3:53 pm
Maybe Ben signed a better minor league deal than Diaz or Rivera and he will provide depth in AAA.
Perhaps…he’s better than Diaz or Rivera cause at least he can play defense
I think there’s a British phrase “suck it and see.”
Seems fitting here.
I still don’t mind the approach. Folks groaned when Ibanez made the team, I probably did too, but he proved useful in the end. The Chief and Colon had their moments too. Chavez. A few other guys. Sign them and see if they stick.
Well this insures Mesa will be sent down. Perhaps he’s not ready, maybe a good thing.
Grandy will be back sooner than Tex.
Ibanez had a season that was so bizarre (both positively and negativlely) hat it is hard to say that any success he had proves anything.
instead of giving $$$ here and there and everywhere on stuff, maybe they could have pooled all that $$$ and used it on something worth while
Francesa touting his pick of Kuroda last year.
Proves he is a genius.
Cashman just about used up all his super glue
always good to delay the arb clock on mesa.
blake,
i agree completely re: musty. For him it seems its third base or bust.
I dont mind this pick up. Cash is quoted as saying he could be a nice bench player. If francisco is the fourth outfielder, he would be a better alternative than rivera or diaz. he is def a defensive upgrade over the two of them. They still need to pick a starting OF as well so concieveably there is room for Mesa to start and francisco to play off the bench.
Just think if good ole ‘Ben’ ends up at AAA for depth, he will impede the progress of the young guys. LOL !
not sure musty will play vs rightys.
Mr. mick,
Unless I’m mistaken, most of Mustie’s hits have come off righties.
where is thome?
I dont mind this pick up. Cash is quoted as saying he could be a nice bench player. If francisco is the fourth outfielder, he would be a better alternative than rivera or diaz
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Unless Rivera or Diaz are the LF while Grandy is gone.
LoHudYankees
Looks like quite a few big league cuts today.
How is Francisco a bench player?
Unless they are talking after Grandy returns.
That is their bugaboo. What to do with him when Grandy returns.
If he does too well, they might have nowhere to play him.
Makes no sense…
Ravens trade Boldin for a 6th rd pick to 9ers.
If they want a platoon at 1st with Rivera and Thome I could live with that but Musty would be sent down.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Monday that he plans to reach out to Chipper Jones’ agent.
It’s worth a shot, but all indications are that Chipper is happy in retirement. Even if he did entertain the idea of returning it would surely be with the Braves, who could use some help at the hot corner. Cashman is looking for someone that can help out at the corner infield spots with Mark Teixeira sidelined. He’s also reached out to Derrek Lee and Scott Rolen.
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better by the minute
I don’t like this. I want Mesa to make the team. Or Almonte. He’s totally redundant, but I can understand their desire to have someone like him in camp. I guess we’ll see what happens….
This is what they are waiting for.
Cheap minor league missing pieces on the cheap.
Musty better keep hitting.
We’ll see if the pressure effects him.
Big Al, Deal With It, Comet – got your predictions.
J. Alfred Prufrock March 11th, 2013 at 11:52 am
J Al, I am so on board with your post. Those mid to late 90s teams were the Yankee teams that had it all. You didn’t need a superstar at every position, just good tough players. And those guys did it all. And yes it was circular and it was dangerous. Sure that’s what I would love to see the Yankees be once again. And if they can get it done, they can be that again.
I have constantly said that the year that broke my heart wasn’t 2004. It was 2006. And that’s for the very reason you cited. Instead of going with the kids that got him there, Torre allowed himself to be goaded by Sheffield, who had been out for a good part of the season and who declared he wouldn’t be back until he was good and ready – and decided to be ready once the postseason rolled around.
(And then there was Kenny Rodgers and his pinetar. But karma hasn’t been kind to Detroit in the postseason. I wonder why 
)
By the way, I was elated to hear that someone else felt the same way about blowouts as I do!
The Yankees need to get back to who they were before George bought into the idea of horses all over the field. Just good, clean, steady offense. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to be there. Get back to speed on the bases (we will with Gardner, thankfully), with bunts and sac flys, with concentrating on hitting men over and in, not on showboating out of the park. I’ll say this for Kevin Long. He saw, recognized, and called for the need to change, for players to (re)learn the art of the bunt and use it. But he was overruled.
With the pitching we have, if the offense just plays to their strengths while also concentrating on the fundamentals, this team should be okay. Stop swinging for the fences, unless you’re Robby Cano!
Back to work.
Ben Francisco is a guy I used to watch and say to myself, “Damn, I hope he doesn’t end up on the Yankees, but I bet he will.”
Such is the nature of being a sports fan. One comes to realize just how cyclical things are, and nothing really is out of the realm of possibility.
He’s not a horrendous player, but he’s just incredibly soft as a hitter. Fortunately he probably won’t even garner enough AB’s to even register in our collective memory banks as a Yankees player.
@FeinsandNYDN
Upon hearing the Chipper Jones rumor, Derek Jeter said, “Call Mike Schmidt, too. Call everybody.”
Are the Yankees now parodying themselves…?
Forget about Francisco.
I can see it now. Ben makes the team as a reserve OF
Youk goes to 3rd
Juan Rivera at 1st
Where does that leave Melky Mesa??
WTP,
To go somewhere to learn how to lay off breaking balls in the dirt a foot off the plate.
The Yanks beating the Cards will give me some good troll material, even in spring training. Thank goodness for Kuroda. And to think nobody even paid attention to his signing last year with the Pineda/Montero trade on the same day.
AAA depth, hopefully….
And to think nobody even paid attention to his signing last year
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Somewhere out there LGY is shaking his head at you, sir.
Shame Spencer March 11th, 2013 at 4:59 pm
And to think nobody even paid attention to his signing last year
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Somewhere out there LGY is shaking his head at you, sir.
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Alright maybe “nobody” was a little too general, haha. MOST people.
LGY wasn’t alone.
I was there, too.
Yeah I loved the Kuroda signing at the time… it’s just that most conversation was over the shock of trading Montero. I thought it overshadowed it some.
Kuroda was a major signing, only trish poo pooed it.
In fact, some of us thought that the Kuroda signing negated the need for a Pineda type of trade, but that if they still wanted another starter, it made sense to move Swisher for the best starter they could get given his expiring contract and their likely reluctance to re-sign him.
Rich in NJ March 11th, 2013 at 5:09 pm
In fact, some of us thought that the Kuroda signing negated the need for a Pineda type of trade,
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Yup
Rich in NJ March 11th, 2013 at 5:09 pm
In fact, some of us thought that the Kuroda signing negated the need for a Pineda type of trade, but that if they still wanted another starter, it made sense to move Swisher for the best starter they could get given his expiring contract and their likely reluctance to re-sign him.
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This definitely would have made more sense. It was pretty obvious that the Yanks could have used an extra bat last year and signing a guy like Kuroda could help the rotation without giving away a good prospect. I still have hope for Pineda providing some injury insurance later in the year…
“Kuroda was a major signing, only trish poo pooed it.”
Wrong. I was not alone. I may have been the most vocal, but there were others here who felt the same way.
trisha,
Thanks for you response to my earlier post.
I’m afraid, though, that we’d need some star switch hitters, as we had back then, to really get back to the good ‘ole days. Right now, we have one switch hitter who basically has become much more reliable as a RHB, and guys who, for the most part, need a platoon partner.
I now look forward to small, happy surprises – like the Yankees actually bringing Mustelier north instead of raising hopes that they will.
And rather than “poo pooing it” which makes it sound like an off-handed dismissal, I gave very specific reasons why didn’t think it would work, all having to do with transitioning to the AL East from the NL West, none having to do with questioning Kuroda as a pitcher.
Thank you.
J Al – I’m dead set against platoon partners. I think we have the players to play the positions, whether already in the bigs or down below (for immediate help needed.)
it’s just that most conversation was over the shock of trading Montero. I thought it overshadowed it some.
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Tyler, it did overshadow it some, but that was understandable. Kuroda is a professional arm, and I was excited they signed him. Still, he’s a late 30s starter who was signed for one year. The excitement had a major bite taken out of it when they got rid of a 22 year old elite prospect, whose presence in the organization and on the major league roster as recently as the previous Fall, was incredibly thrilling, as was looking forward to him behind the plate for the a long career of hopefully providing Posada level difference making as a plus hitting catcher.
The idea of him getting more acclimated, with Cano here and Derek refreshed, etc., and getting Kuroda to be a difference maker in the rotation… it all just came crashing down.
She hit and ran.
BBL
Well, trish, the problem is, most of those guys are not good enough to succeed against both LHP and RHP.
That’s the difference between, say, someone like Cano (setting aside last years’ anomalous numbers against LHP) and Matsui, and Jeter (who hit .294 against righties last year).
It’s not about “stars” vs. non-stars for me; it’s about getting people who know how to hit, and having enough live bats, too.
I do hope we see Gardner take up where he left off in ALDS and continue what he’s been doing in ST, and that Ichiro can play “young” all year. Regardless, this team needs help offensively. It’s not very strong.
I had seen Kuroda pitch and fair amount with the Dodgers and I knew he was good….but he’s better than I even thought.
Sorry, Gardner in ALDS 2011 (in which he hit over .400).
If we’d have had any kind of hitting, to go with that pitching last year, we’d have gone to the WS.
Musty got lost, Musty got lost, Musty got lost
Somewhere down the lin http://www.chatalex.com/