Report: Toronto Blue Jays sign Juan Francisco to minor league contract

After being unceremoniously released by the Milwaukee Brewers after losing a Spring Training battle, third baseman Juan Francisco has reportedly landed on his feet, courtesy of a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Hector Gomez of ZDeportes initially reported that Francisco’s deal with Toronto was done, and it has now been confirmed by multiple outlets. It appears as if the 26-year-old Francisco will be headed to triple-A Buffalo in the Blue Jays organization, but with Major League power, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get a call-up in the near future.

In 2013, Francisco exited Spring Training as the platoon partner of Chris Johnson with the Atlanta Braves, but after 205 plate appearances with a dismal .278 on-base percentage, he was designated for assignment before finishing the year with the Brewers. Francisco is a pure power hitter, as evidenced by his career .189 ISO in 771 plate appearances, but there are real concerns about whether he can get on base, defend, and/or hit left-handed pitching.

Still, there will always be a market for this type of pure power (32 career home runs in basically a full season of at-bats), and it never seems difficult for Francisco to secure gainful employment.