Who is Franchy Cordero?
Well, for one, he’s the newest member of the Red Sox’s outfield, as Boston traded Andrew Benintendi to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday as part of a three-team deal (also involving the New York Mets) that brought back Cordero, minor league pitcher Josh Winckowski and three players to be named later.
But what type of player is Cordero? And will he help offset the loss of Benintendi in 2021 and beyond?
Turns out, one National League evaluator believes the Red Sox just upgraded, even without factoring in the other pieces Boston acquired from Kansas City and New York.
“I love Franchy. I’d rather have him than Benintendi,” the evaluator told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. “(Cordero is) not that far off (from a) Joey Gallo skill set.”
The Joey Gallo comparison is compelling, to say the least.
Gallo strikes out a ton and typically doesn’t hit for much average. But the Texas Rangers slugger’s power is off the charts. And that’s also kind of been the book on Cordero in his young Major League Baseball career.
Now, Gallo, 27, was an All-Star in 2019, when he hit 22 home runs and posted a .986 OPS in 70 games. He also launched at least 40 home runs in both 2017 and 2018. So, he’s far more accomplished than Cordero, 26, despite being only a year older.
But injuries played a role in limiting Cordero to just 95 big league games split between the Royals and San Diego Padres. With full health and consistent playing time, it’s easy to dream on what Cordero could become with the Red Sox.
A player similar to Gallo? Yeah, Boston will take that.
