CLEARWATER, Fla. – The numbering is a little off in the Phillies' spring training clubhouse. Usually lockers are assigned in numerical sequence, clockwise around the room. But this spring, No. 41 comes immediately after No. 7.
Why?
Because that's the way Carlos Santana wanted it.
"I told the team that I wanted Maikel Franco right next to me," the new first baseman said after his first workout with the club Saturday. "That's something that I wanted. I really like him. He's a special kid. I appreciate him a lot. And, not only him, the whole group is nice. But I really want to work with him and help him out."
Santana, 31, and Franco, 25, are both natives of the Dominican Republic. They bonded this winter. After Santana signed with the Phillies in December, he worked out at the Phillies' academy in the DR with Franco.
It's no secret this is a big year for Franco (see story). He needs to finally put together his potential or the team may look elsewhere – hello, Manny Machado – for its next third baseman.
Franco's big area of need is Santana's area of strength: Plate discipline. Santana walks almost as much as he strikes out. He has registered a career on-base percentage of .365 while averaging 24 homers over the last seven seasons. Franco has pop – he has hit 25 and 24 homers, respectively, the last two seasons – but his career on-base percentage is just .300 after a dip to .281 last season.
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Santana has reached at least 100 walks twice in his career and at least 91 four other times. Franco had a career-best 41 walks last season.
Santana praised Victor Martinez for being a mentor to him early in his career. "That's why I wear No. 41," he said. Santana wants to be Franco's Victor Martinez.
"We're going to work together every single day," Santana said. "We're going to make sure he executes the plan he wants to follow. I know he's a guy that's very talented and he's capable of a lot. So I'm going to be there. I'm committed to helping him. I'm going to be in the cage, hitting as many balls as possible. He already told me today that he wants to follow me everywhere he goes. If I have to go to the cage he's going to go with me to hit some balls. He's committed and I'm committed, too."
The Phillies have baseball's second-worst on-base percentage (.307, San Diego is .303) the last six seasons. The additions of Santana and J.P. Crawford to the lineup – and a full season of Rhys Hoskins, another selective hitter – should help the offense.
"When you have a guy (like Santana) in the middle of the lineup, grinding down the opposing pitcher – just imagine, you're a pitcher on the other side and you're delivering pitch after pitch that's getting fouled off or a ball that is just off the corner and being taken, you get exhausted," manager Gabe Kapler said. "Guess who benefits from that? The next man up and the next man up and there's this ripple effect. An exhausted starting pitcher or even an exhausted reliever is a really good thing for the Philadelphia Phillies."
Santana signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the Phillies in December. He said the Phillies' young core reminds him of the group of youngsters that his former team, the Cleveland Indians, brought to the majors in recent seasons.
Unlike a number of other free agents who are still jobless in this unusual year for free agents, Santana jumped relatively early at the Phillies' offer. He said it was "shocking" that so many free agents remain unsigned.
"I know baseball is going through a difficult time right now, with all of the free agents," Santana said. "But it worked out for me. I am happy. I can only speak for myself, and I am happy I did it the way I did it. It's very surprising because there are a lot of talented free agents out there. I thought it would be very different from what it's been."
To prepare for the new season and the new team, Santana worked with a personal trainer in the Dominican Republic. In one of the drills, he was forced to push a car.
"It was a complete workout," he said. "It wasn't only to get ready for preseason, it was also to get ready for the season and be successful during the season.
"It's a positive atmosphere here. I see a lot of young guys, very hungry and very eager to win. You can tell everyone is ready to go here."
