Joey Franchino?!? Huh..Wha…?

By: Laurie | April 18th, 2008

I keep thinking that someday the Galaxy will make a trade that makes sense. I’m still waiting.

Soccer by Ives is saying Joey Franchino may be heading back our way.

According to a source within Major League Soccer, the Galaxy and New England Revolution are discussing a trade that would send Revs defender Joe Franchino to the Galaxy. There are no details on what the Galaxy would give up but it is believed that the package would likely consist of a draft pick.

Franchino has played just one minute for the Revs this season after sitting out most of last season following foot surgery. Here is a recent profile on Franchino in the Boston Globe.

Franchino’s professional career began with the Galaxy, which drafted him in 1998. He spent two and a half seasons with the Galaxy before Los Angeles was forced to give him up in a dispersal draft to make room for the acquisition of Luis Hernandez in 2000. Franchino went to the Revolution in that draft.

So… We’d do this why, exactly? First off, he’s thirty-one. Thirty-two before the end of the season. He took a leave of absence last year for “unspecified reasons.” He has not played much for the Revs recently. He’s spent a fair bit of time injured. And there was apparently a pretty major incident in the past week or so where he was kicked out of a Red Sox-Yankees game for being drunk and disorderly. (But the blogosphere tells us that reports of peeing in public were greatly exaggerated. Isn’t that a relief.)

On the other hand, to be balanced, this comes from the above-linked Boston Globe article:

Franchino’s presence often seems to increase the intensity level of practice sessions and helps the focus of other players. Franchino took an interest in the battle for the starting position on the left side of midfield between Mauricio Castro and Khano Smith.

“I try to lift players up in training,” Franchino said. “With Khano being challenged by Castro, I told him he should take it personally, he should come out here and compete for the position.”

I’m thinking there’s no way to tell exactly what we’d be getting here.

Sounds like exactly what we need right now.

Or…wait. No it doesn’t.