Down on the Farm: Kevin Frandsen Prospect Retrospective

The trade to Boston, ending Kevin Frandsen's career as a San Francisco Giant, at least for now, has to represent a disappointment for veteran Giants prospect watchers. Many of us had high hopes for him, not as a star on the level of a Pablo Sandoval or a Tim Lincecum, but as a solid player who would liberate us from Ray Durham's bloated contract. As with the passing of any era, no matter how small, a trip down memory lane helps to bring closure.

Kevin Frandsen's story was enhanced by a local flavor. He was a graduate of Bellarmine Prep in San Jose and attended San Jose State. Although the details would not come out until he started playing for the Giants at the MLB level, Kevin grew up a Giants fan. In fact, the family knew and was friendly with the Dave Righetti family. Kevin had an older brother who died at a young age from medical problems who was a rabid Giants fan. It was almost like Kevin was on a personal mission to live his brother's dream and not in a negative way.

He was drafted in 2004 by the Giants in round 12 at the age of 22 after a solid college career. He was a hit machine at San Jose State hit .317, .332 and .321 in his 3 seasons there. He had an OBP>.400 all 3 seasons, but half of his IsoOBP(OBP-BA) was due to HBP's rather than BB's. That was a trend that would continue as a pro. He didn't show much power, and his SLG% actually declined all 3 years. He finished with the school record in hits and HBP's. Frandsen signed quickly after the draft and was assigned to Short-Season Salem-Keizer where he went .296/.369/.439 in 25 games.

2005 was the season things really took off for Kevin. Jumped to high A San Jose, he thrived on home cooking and showed off his remarkable hit tool going .351/.429/.467. He showed doubles power with 22 in 291 AB's, but only 2 HR's. He showed some speed with 13 SB's, but was CS 11 times. Promoted to AA Norwich midseason, he held his own in a very tough environment for hitters with a .287 BA and got a late season promotion to AAA Fresno where he again tattooed the ball to a .351/.378/.543 line. Kevin's meteoric rise through the system thrilled a lot of Giants prospect watchers who were starved for a homegrown talent at the MLB level and were frustrated by Ray Durham's bloated contract and frequent trips to the DL. He started picking up nicknames. Prospecthound, if you are out there somewhere, I believe you simply called him "The Kevin".

Still, Frandsen had his detractors who were concerned that he didn't show enough power or draw enough walks. One website that posted daily minor league highlights would make comments like "Kevin Frandsen went 3 for 5 with 2 doubles, but he didn't draw any walks." It became almost comical. In retrospect, maybe they were right.

The 2006 season was good, if not as spectacular with a .307/.361/.444 line in AAA Fresno. Kevin got his first taste of major league action that season but struggled to a .215/.284/.323 line. The following season, he was too good for AAA with a .403/.506/.522 line in 19 games. With Ray Durham struggling in SF, Kevin got his chance and performed creditably finishing with a line of .269/.331/.379. Still, those of us who were wowed by his spectacular BA's in the minors were a bit disappointed.

It looked like 2008 might be the year Kevin pushed Ray Durham out of the starting 2B job, in indeed Durham was traded to Milwaukee that year mainly due to declining defense. It was not to be. Frandsen struggled all spring with Achilles tendonitis. He finally sat out a few days, but when he came back, he tore the tendon and underwent season ending surgery. Kevin came to spring training in 2009 thinking he would pick up where he left off before the injury, but the Giants felt he had lost a step or two in the field and were dazzled by the speed of Emmanuel Burriss. Burriss won the starting 2B job and Kevin got sent down to Fresno. He expressed his frustration publicly putting him further into the Giants doghouse. His line at Fresno was solid, but not up to his old standards at .295/.352/.438. He did convert some of his doubles into 13 HR's. After Burriss struggled and was sent down, Kevin was one of several players who went through a revolving door of 2B tryouts in San Francisco, but he again struggled to a .140 batting average. The Giants ultimately traded for Freddy Sanchez and Kevin's Giants career was all but over.

Kevin Frandsen's career minor league line with the Giants was .318/.381/.452 over 355 games. His career line at the MLB level was .240/.304/.341. I think the lesson to be drawn from Kevin's experience is just how difficult it is to achieve a career as a major league baseball player. It remains to be seen how he will do with his new team, but it's hard to imagine him as more than a seldom used reserve in Boston who has a former MVP as the starting 2B and a newly signed FA as the starting SS. Those guys aren't going to sit very often barring injury. Still Kevin Frandsen plays the game better than all but a tiny fraction of those who play it. Blessed with extraordinary eye-hand coordination, he can often make solid contact with a bat on a small round ball thrown at 90+ MPH while taking unknown changes in direction on its way to the plate. He actually played games at the major league level, which is more than 99% of minor league ballplayers can ever say. That he had a minor league career is more than 99% of college players can ever say, and that he had a college career is more than 99% of high school players can ever say. To those of us who never played at even the high school level, Kevin Frandsen is 1 in several millions. As a measure of just how tough it is to play major league baseball, that might not have been quite good enough.