Monday could mark the end for two longtime members of the Phillies’ infield.

Cesar Hernandez and Maikel Franco are both candidates to be cut loose before the 8 p.m. deadline to offer 2020 contracts to players who are eligible for salary arbitration.

In all, the Phillies have nine arbitration-eligible players. Hernandez and Franco are probably the only two in jeopardy of not being tendered a contract. The rest of the group includes pitchers Jose Alvarez, Hector Neris, Adam Morgan, Vince Velasquez and Zach Eflin and catchers J.T. Realmuto and Andrew Knapp.

The Phillies would like to sign Realmuto to a multi-year contract extension this winter, but the two sides could reach agreement on a one-year deal for 2020 before that happens.

Hernandez, 29, has been in the Phillies organization since he was 16 years old. He signed out of Venezuela in the summer of 2006 and eventually became Chase Utley’s successor at second base during the 2015 season.

Hernandez is projected to make more than $11 million in his final year of arbitration and the Phillies, with both Scott Kingery and Jean Segura capable of playing second, could let him go and use that money to fill needs elsewhere on the roster. It’s still possible that the Phils could trade Hernandez in the final hours before the tender deadline, though that might not be likely as interested teams could gamble that he’d soon become available as a free agent.

Franco, 27, originally signed with the Phillies in 2010. He became the team’s regular third baseman in 2015 and had three 20-plus-homer seasons before losing his starting job last season and being demoted to Triple A. Phillies officials pondered releasing Franco in September and it has been clear for a while that he needs a fresh start in another organization. That could come in a late trade or a non-tender on Monday. Franco is projected to make about $6.5 million in salary arbitration.

It’s not clear what the Phillies will do for a third baseman next season. The club has shown interest in free agent Mike Moustakas. Kingery or Segura could be an option at the position if the Phils were to pursue a shortstop from outside the organization.



Click here to download the MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games easily on your device.

More on the Phillies