It’s been 16 years since the Phillies traded Scott Rolen to the St. Louis Cardinals, and they still haven’t found a long-term answer at third base. Through the days of Placido Polanco, Pedro Feliz, Cody Asche, Michael Young, and David Bell the organization has been looking for the next Rolen or Mike Schmidt to present themselves.
When Maikel Franco arrived in 2014, many saw a star who could be the Phillies starting third baseman for the next 10 years. The Hall of Famer Schmidt has consistently called Franco a future MVP candidate, but the words have never materialized into to action or success on the field.