Franchy Cordero Sucks… It’s Time To Cut The Cord
The Boston Red Sox have been sneaky good in the early stages of their 2021 campaign. General Manager Chaim Bloom propelled the Sox to a 22-16 record and first place in the AL East with astute decisions, but one of his moves has been detrimental, not beneficial, to the success of the team: the acquisition of Franchy Cordero. He has been a liability on the field, and Bloom and the Sox must admit they made a mistake and cut the cord with Cordero.
The Andrew Benintendi trade is the worst move Bloom has made in his Boston tenure. The trade was so bad, I made a post entirely dedicated to ripping him for his decision, and I’ll say the same thing I said in that post. Cordero has the appearance of a Major League Baseball player, but he has repeatedly failed to perform like one.
Cordero has some tools. He is big and athletic, but he can’t hit the broad side of a barn. Bloom gambled Cordero would solve his hitting woes in Boston and Bloom lost big time. Cordero, just 26, has a current batting line of .150/.209/.188 – that’s right, Cordero’s hitting is so poor that his on-base percentage is actually higher than his slugging percentage. I did not think that was even possible, and there is no excuse for his continued presence in the lineup or on the roster. The time has come for Bloom to wave the white flag. Franchy Cordero flat-out sucks.
Sure, it’s only 80 at-bats, but enough is enough. San Diego and Kansas City moved on from Cordero for a reason: he simply cannot play. He is unable to hit the high fastball and he looks goofy standing so close to the plate trying to do so. He never extends his hands to fully drive the ball and seems incapable of recognizing good pitches in the zone, instead choosing to swing at garbage. The advanced metrics further illustrate that Cordero needs to go. He ranks in the first percentile in xBA, literally the worst in the league. The Sox outfielder is also in the third percentile in whiff percentage and strikeout rate.
The Red Sox are still rebuilding. At this point, being in first place is gravy. The team needs to remain focused on building the next great Sox team, but if it is to be great, Cordero cannot remain a part of it. If Boston decides to keep experimenting with him, it must happen in the minors, not on a team that is contending for a playoff berth. Cordero has the look of an MLB player, but he is a bust, plain and simple.
