PT TOMORROW: AL East — Is Tampa's SS Wander-ing Off?

Tampa Bay Rays

One has to give manager Kevin Cash the benefit of the doubt that the message sent to Wander Franco (SS, TAM) by benching him for not handling his frustration well, leading to confrontations with his teammates, will be received in the manner it was intended.

Assuming that is true, the involuntary vacation will be a quickly forgotten blip, and it will be onward and upward for a player in whom the Rays are heavily invested (11 years, $182 million).

But for what it is worth, something seemed to be up with Franco in the days leading up to the benching. Franco is known for his ability to make contact, but in those previous four games, he had struck out in nearly half of his at-bats (1-for-15, 7 K).

Franco returned to the lineup...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From PT Tomorrow

The Phillies are poised to finally end the Braves dominance of the division -- can they sustain that when the Braves are healthy in 2025?
Sep 21 2024 3:15am
Wilson had a great 2024 in the minors and looks to breakout with the A's in 2025.
Sep 20 2024 3:05am
Heston Kjerstad could be the beneficiary of Anthony Santander's pending free agency in BAL. Plus, hitters vying for 2025 playing time for TAM and TOR, and the effects of pending free agencies for BOS and NYY.
Sep 17 2024 3:10am
A look around the division with some questions for next year, including the Kansas City rotation and shortstop in Detroit.
Sep 13 2024 3:10am
MIL could have a new look infield, CHC still hasn't solved its problem at 3B, two situations to monitor in STL, coming full circle in CIN, and RF and 1B remain a problem in PIT.
Sep 12 2024 3:06am

Tools