The Washington Nationals signed 30-year-old outfielder Franchy Cordero to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training on Wednesday. While he is not likely to move the needle in terms of wins and losses, and he likely won't even make the Opening Day roster, but he'll likely be a fun player to follow this spring.
Cordero has played parts of seven seasons in the majors, including stops with four different teams (Padres, Royals, Red Sox and most recently Yankees). However, he hasn't managed to stick with any of them in a substantial role.
Strikeouts and overall lack of consistent contact will likely be what prevent him from getting back to the majors, after playing in Japan last season. Still, don't be surprised if he makes a splash this spring. In fact, that's something he's known for doing.
As mentioned previously, Cordero spent 2024 overseas. However, in 2022 and 2023, he went a combined 30-for-69 with 11 extra-base hits and an OPS above 1.100.
In terms of physical appearance and track record as a hitter, Cordero is a Stone Garrett doppelgänger. That's another reason why he likely won't make the Nationals roster once the regular season arrives, since Garrett would likely hold the advantage due to his experience in Washington. But that doesn't mean Cordero shouldn't be enjoyed while he's around.
Here's Franchy Cordero hitting a ball 119mph and going 474ft https://t.co/DQNEGvqYxd pic.twitter.com/bEiM29O0SZ
— Nyanasaur (@Nyanasaur) November 15, 2024
Cordero is the definition of a AAAA player, who thrives in AAA but struggles to break through at the big league level. In 797 major league plate appearances, he has slugged 27 home runs and driven in 87 runs, but has also only batted .218 and struck out 278 times.
On the other hand, in 306 games at the AAA level, Cordero has batted .306 with 54 home runs, 72 doubles, 226 runs batted in, and even 42 stolen bases (something the otherwise lumbering 225-pound slugger is not known for). If he can replicate his spring training success from recent seasons, he'll give the Nationals a tough decision to make.
Even if an Opening Day roster spot isn't in the cards for Cordero, maybe the Nationals will be able to keep him around in Rochester this year. Either way, get ready to see him smack the ball around with a high frequency this spring.
If you have thoughts on this signing, feel free to let me know at @stephen_newman1 on X.