Franchy Cordero

Cordero was originally part of a logjam in the San Diego outfield before he was surprisingly traded to the Royals just before the start of the season. It was all for naught as Cordero broke his hamate bone shortly after arriving and was gone until a handful of games were left on the schedule. In the smallest of samples (42 PA) he greatly reduced his swing and miss; he owns a 34.9% career strikeout rate at the big-league level, yet struck out only 9.5% of the time after changing leagues and teams. He was not rewarded with positive results, but that bears watching. Let's also remember that when Cordero does make contact, he hits the ball very hard with a career average exit velocity of 93 mph. His raw power and speed are not in question; his playing time is, somewhat. Though after his trade to Boston, he should have every opportunity to secure a starting spot in Boston's outfield.

From a pure tools standpoint, Cordero stacks up well with just about any outfielder, but he's had few chances to showcase his abilities lately. The 25-year-old has logged only 270 plate appearances in affiliated ball the past two seasons, with a problematic right elbow proving to be the most significant concern. Cordero at least enters 2020 ostensibly healthy after playing in a handful of rehab games late last season, but this spring may be his last opportunity to prove to the Padres' brass that his monstrous upside is more than just theoretical. Due to Cordero's lack of recent at-bats along with the fact that he has two options remaining, he could be in line for an assignment to Triple-A El Paso to begin the season. Even so, he'll be someone to track on a watchlist in the event he flashes the power and speed production that made him a trendy late-round sleeper pick in fantasy drafts the past two years.

Cordero made a splash upon arrival in April. He recorded exit velocities of 110 and 115 mph in his first big-league game of the season and went on to collect six homers in his first 15 games, including an unbelievable 489-foot shot, which was one of the longest home runs hit in all of the majors. His numbers eventually started to slide and the Padres picked up on a mechanical change he was making to compensate for a bothersome bone spur in his left elbow. Eventually, Cordero had surgery to remove the spur. When healthy, Cordero flashed incredible athleticism and quick-twitch ability, but he's certainly not without his flaws. He hasn't had a strikeout rate below 25 percent above A-ball, and despite his athleticism his defense graded out poorly last year as he routinely misread balls off the bat. Cordero has power/speed upside, but he will need to prove his health and fight to carve out playing time in spring training.

As an endgame play in deeper leagues, Cordero has a chance to pay dividends in 2018. He struck out 44.4 percent of the time in 30 games in the majors last season, but that doesn't mean he is doomed (Aaron Judge did the same thing in 2016). Cordero, who won't turn 24 until September, has plus raw power and enough speed to steal double-digit bases over a full season. He also rates as a quality defender at all three outfield spots. Cordero rarely makes soft contact (12.2 percent last season), and while his swing-and-miss issues will likely prevent him from ever hitting for a high average, the raw tools are here for him to be a four-category producer. Manuel Margot is assured of a spot in the outfield long term, but the other two spots are not nailed down. Hunter Renfroe and Jose Pirela may be the only two players standing between Cordero and everyday work in an outfield corner. He impressed in the Dominican Winter League this offseason, and will look to be more successful against MLB pitching when his name is called.

Cordero performed well at High-A Lake Elsinore and then Double-A San Antonio in 2016, which led the Padres to add him to their 40-man roster following the season for Rule 5 protection. In his 322 plate appearances in High-A, Cordero slashed .286/.339/.444. His numbers only improved upon arrival to San Antonio and his overall performance earned Cordero a brief callup to Triple-A El Paso at the end of the season. Cordero is a solid runner, as evidenced by his 23 total stolen bases in 2016, but his disappointing walk rates have kept him from being more of a threat on the bases. While Cordero has displayed some impressive tools, his slow development now at age 22 likely limits his ceiling to that of a fourth outfielder.