The Philadelphia Phillies have seen plenty of former players continue their careers in independent leagues and overseas after leaving Major League Baseball, but one former cornerstone has now hit an unexpected turning point.
Former Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco — who hit more than 20 homers in three different seasons with the franchise and once seemed like a big part of its future — was released by the Mexican League’s Diablos Rojos earlier this week despite producing impressive power numbers this season, according to multiple Spanish-language reports.
“The Dominican Maikel Franco was released by the Diablos Rojos after hitting .272, with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs in 39 games,” Besibolpuro reported in a translated post on X. “Franco had the fourth-highest number of home runs in the 2026 season of the Mexican Baseball League.”
Philadelphia Phillies Former Star Infielder Maikel Franco Released From Latest Team
Franco’s production made the sudden release a bit of a surprise, but Phillies fans will recall that he isn’t a stranger to midseason demotions.
Franco debuted with the Phillies in 2014 and quickly became one of the organization’s most highly regarded young hitters, spending six seasons with the club before departing after the 2019 campaign.
His final season in Philadelphia proved especially frustrating.
“Once considered among the Philadelphia Phillies’ brightest young players, Maikel Franco has lost his everyday role,” Ben Weinrib of Yahoo! Sports reported late in the 2019 season. “His 2019 season has been so disappointing that he earned a demotion to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.”
After leaving Philadelphia, Franco continued his professional career with multiple organizations and leagues, including stints with the Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals, as well as in Japan and Mexico.
Philadelphia Phillies’ Former Star Third Baseman Switches Teams After Release
While his release from Diablos Rojos came despite respectable offensive production, roster decisions in international leagues can often involve factors beyond traditional statistics, including foreign-player limits and organizational priorities. Initial reports indicated that Franco immediately joined the Mexican League’s El Aguila de Veracruz.
For Phillies fans, Franco remains a memorable figure from a transitional era in franchise history. He arrived with significant expectations and flashed his power potential at various points, but ultimately never developed into the consistent middle-of-the-order force many envisioned when he emerged as one of baseball’s top prospects.
Now 33 years old, Franco will continue his playing career abroad. If he is able to resume the power surge he enjoyed at the time of his release from his previous team, perhaps he could seek a return to affiliate baseball again in the near future.