The Cardinals reportedly have an agreement with hard-throwing right-handed pitching prospect Branneli Franco for $800,000.
Franco is MLB.com’s #25 International Prospect. The Cardinals forfeited $500,000 from their signing pool for inking Willson Contreras, who rejected a qualifying offer from the Cubs in 2022, leaving St. Louis with an allotment of $5.152 million.
The 16-year old from the Dominican Republic is 6-foot-3 and his fastball sits at 91-93mph with solid tailing action that induces a lot of ground balls. There is potential for it to become a plus-plus offering as he matures and gains strength since he already has impressive arm speed.
His changeup is a straight offering that parks at 85-87 mph but benefits from having an arm slot identical to his heater. A slurvy high-70s breaking pitch is his go-to offspeed weapon, as it moves planes early out of his hand.
Peppering the strike zone at a young age bodes well for Franco’s projection as a starter moving forward. He has been praised for his poise on the mound and ability to mix up his offerings.
