Maikel Franco Files Grievance With Phillies Over Service Time

Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco has filed an official grievance alleging that the team unnecessarily kept him in the minor leagues to limit his service time and delay his future free agency, two sources confirmed on Monday.

Bryant, who went on to win National League Rookie of the Year honors, was held in the minors until April 17, leaving him with 171 days of service time – one day short of a full baseball year.

Yahoo! reports that neither Franco or Bryant’s case has reached an arbitration panel but both accuse their teams of misusing service time rules and operating in bad faith.

Franco debuted in September 2014 and started the 2015 season at Triple-A. The Phillies called up Franco on May 15, and he ended the season with 170 service days.

The controversy began after Spring Training, when the Cubs sent him to the minors they said so he could work on his fielding. He played 151 games after joining the Cubs.

Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco has filed a grievance against the team over alleged manipulation of the timing of his call-up to the majors, according to a Yahoo! It’s now becoming an issue that likely will be discussed thoroughly before the collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, 2016. The question of service-time manipulation long predates Bryant and Franco and is an inherent product of a system that bases free agency – as well as the extra year of arbitration known as Super 2 status – on days in the major leagues. Because Bryant spent the first eight games at Triple-A Iowa, he won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2021 season.

“Our point was that in the ethic of the game, I think it’s good for Kris – and for the fans and everyone (else) – that they understand that the rules of the game often allow teams to do things that are unrelated to the best interests of the team or the true talent evaluation of the player”.

Neither Cubs president Theo Epstein, Phillies nor Bryant’s agent, Scott Boras, replied to requests for comment from Yahoo Sports.

Bryant and Franco are not alone in their misery either. He finished the 2015 season with one year, 166 days of service. Players become free agents after amassing six full years of service. Polanco didn’t arrive in Pittsburgh until June – more than a month after he turned down a seven-year deal.