There were plenty of high hopes for reliever Frank Francisco when he was signed to a two year deal for $12 million dollars before the 2012 season.
To date, that has been the largest free agent contract doled out by Sandy Alderson and it may now be safe to say that it has been a total bust.
The Mets announced today that Francisco has been moved to the 60-day disabled list to make room on the 40-man roster for Triple-A shortstop Omar Quintanilla.
Last season, Francisco had one of the worst seasons in recent memory for a Mets closer. The righthander saved 23 games, but it was a struggle all the way and was never pretty.
Francisco averaged 14.5 base runners per nine innings (10 hits and 4.5 walks), so he was always in trouble. He finished the season with a 5.53 ERA the worst mark in the bullpen for anyone making 20 or more appearances.
During the off-season, he had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow, and then in February the team shut him down after experiencing discomfort in his elbow.
He has been on the disabled list ever since, has suffered numerous setbacks and has showed no signs of improvement.
The odds he gives the Mets anything at this point are very long. No bang for the buck here, move along…
