The Mets are trying to trade Jeff Francoeur, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. The right fielder is playing less now that Carlos Beltran is healthy, and a friend told Puma that Francoeur would welcome a trade if he were given the chance to play every day.
Francoeur has hit .277/.315/.437 with 18 homers since the Mets acquired him for Ryan Church about a year ago. Much of Francoeur's production came in 2009, however; this year his OPS sits at .673.
Any team looking to add Francoeur will have to consider his $5MM salary (he'll earn about $2MM between now and the end of the season). If Francoeur finishes the season well, his team can retain him for 2011 through arbitration, but he is a non-tender candidate at this point.
Michael Brown
Braves fans knew it was only a matter of time…
RiverKKiller999
Lol,The Mets are starting to see the light with Francoeur just like the Braves did.
dawgpaddlez
regardless..how did ryan church work out
bbxxj
Well considering the Braves are 100-71 since trading Francoeur…
Just_MLB
well considering their bullpen and SP is alot better…im sure u can attribute that to Jeff Francour’s departure as well…
scottandwtb
He did better in ATL than Francoeur did (OPS+ of 99, compared to Frenchy’s 68(!). And then he was released. No big deal.
RiverKKiller999
Fine,I’d take Church’s .260 AVG / .342 OBP/.402 SLG/.749 OPS then Francoeur’s .250 AVG/.282 OBP/.352 SLG/.634/OPS anyday thank you very much.
Erik
where IS Ryan Church right now?
How long was he on the ‘bravos’?
And what did you get in return for him?
RiverKKiller999
We got Cookies!!!!!!! yummmy!
k26dp
The Braves could have traded Franceour for some Broadway show tickets and come out ahead on this trade. They got rid of an unproductive player making millions of dollars and managed to weaken a division rival in the process.
blake pennington
Doesn’t really matter. The Francoeur/Church Trade had a lot to do with the PR hit that might have suffered for releasing Jeff. No one really cared if Church stayed with the team, thus the reason so many Braves fans view the trade as a win. That and the fact that he went to the Mets.
DK8
How did Ryan Church work out? Who cares?
The Braves would have won this trade if they had given Francouer to the Mets for a signed slip of paper from Omar saying the Mets would play him 80% of the time!
Phil Smith
I know Francoeur is a free swinger and all, but I like him. And for whatever reason I think the Mets need his presence. Add this to the list of things making the Mets a losing brand.
Nick
Why should we add this to the list? Francoeur is a 4th outfielder on a team that he used to be a starter. It only makes sense for the Mets to trade him and attempt to get some sort of pitching back in return. Nevermind the fact that he’s eligible for Arbitration after the season. And he wants to start. So, ultimately, if the Mets can trade Francoeur and get some pitching in return it’s a win/win for everyone.
But, you’re right. Because you said so, we’ll add this to the list…
East Coast Bias
There you go using that logic thing again..
Moebarguy
Trading one of the worst starting players in baseball, statistically, in the past few years makes it to this “list?” I’d love to see this “list.”
bjsguess
No team needs Francouer. On virtually any team he is taking away AB’s from players who are better. It’s that simple.
The Mets won’t get anything for Francouer unless they pick up the vast majority of the contract. Right now, the guy is worth nothing but is still getting a nice paycheck.
johnsilver
Hate to disagree with you here, but I think Boston would maybe take him.. For Mike Lowell if the mets would take ALL of Lowell’s salary in exchange (12M pro rated) which i doubt they will. That shows you again how little use frenchy is and everyone knows how beaten up Boston has been on OF’ers this year..
johnsilver
Hate to disagree with you here, but I think Boston would maybe take him.. For Mike Lowell if the mets would take ALL of Lowell’s salary in exchange (12M pro rated) which i doubt they will. That shows you again how little use frenchy is and everyone knows how beaten up Boston has been on OF’ers this year..
bjsguess
No team needs Francouer. On virtually any team he is taking away AB’s from players who are better. It’s that simple.
The Mets won’t get anything for Francouer unless they pick up the vast majority of the contract. Right now, the guy is worth nothing but is still getting a nice paycheck.
icedrake523
How does getting rid of one of the worst corner OFs in the game contribute to a losing brand?
David
Everyone is saying that Francoeur is worthless and whatnot… although he hasn’t hit doesn’t mean he can’t contribute to his team.
I personally, as a Met fan, can recall countless times where he would save the Mets a run. Opposing 3rd base coaches would rather play it safe then to test Jeff’s arm. With a team who has lackluster SP past Santana and Niese (at the moment), runs are at a premium. Therefore Jeff’s ability to prevent runs is crucial. Now that he isn’t playing everyday… we’ll see what happens.
icedrake523
How does getting rid of one of the worst corner OFs in the game contribute to a losing brand?
Moebarguy
Good riddance.
The Mets already have enough “good guys” on the team. This whole “he’s a good clubhouse guy” is sort of like saying an ugly girl is “nice” instead of saying what she really is…
CharlotteChop
He is not a good clubhouse guy – this is the farce of it all. He never adjusted his swing, no matter who tried to work for him, publicly shamed Terry Pendleton by going to work with Jaramillo in the offseason ( to no avail) and trashed the Braves for sending him down to AA to work on his game. He is not a clubhouse guy. When he is playing every day, getting his way, he is fine. What is the Mets record since he went to the bench, 2-7? It will only get worse with him saying “Trade me, so i can play everyday”. He’s a good kid, but not a good teammate or good clubhouse guy. Braves are 100-71 since he left.
Moebarguy
Thus the quotes.
I’m not in the clubhouse, so I couldn’t tell you either way–but the Mets sure like to point to that as the reason he’s still wearing orange and blue.
East Coast Bias
ugly!
Kitfisto007
Red Sox will give you Mike Lowell or a low tier or a project like rp Robert manuel or fernando cabrera.
wolf9309
they’d probably trade lowell and his salary for francoeur and his salary and then just release francoeur. Definitely not worth Manuel in any way, and probably not worth a roster spot if he cost no money or prospects. Darnell McDonald, Daniel Nava, and Bill Hall are all better outfield options for the Sox.
wolf9309
they’d probably trade lowell and his salary for francoeur and his salary and then just release francoeur. Definitely not worth Manuel in any way, and probably not worth a roster spot if he cost no money or prospects. Darnell McDonald, Daniel Nava, and Bill Hall are all better outfield options for the Sox.
coach_coryell
“(Insert Team Name) Trying To Trade Jeff Francoeur.”
“Baseball Season: 162 Games.”
“Trees: Often Used to Make Baseball Bats.”
The likable Frenchy is not good.
budman3
Francouer to the Royals for Kyle Farnsworth. Even swap of players and salary and uselesness.
Moebarguy
Considering Farnsworth has been productive this season, I would probably make this deal.
rayking
If I was the Royals, I would not make this deal. I guess Scotty Pods would be the OF benched for Frenchy… Farnsworth has actually been solid this year (perhaps low pressure situations suit him best), and I don’t see Podsednik -> Frenchy being much of an upgrade.
bjsguess
The Royals should only be concerned about this season. Farnsworth for Francouer makes little sense. If Farnsworth is traded it should be for salary relief and/or cheap talent. Francouer provides neither.
bjsguess
The Royals should only be concerned about this season. Farnsworth for Francouer makes little sense. If Farnsworth is traded it should be for salary relief and/or cheap talent. Francouer provides neither.
Tim Lyter
just cut him loose… you cant get anything for him…
Dominick Totino
francoeur is a good guy and a great defensive outfielder with an awesome personality. if the mets were the royals or the pirates, he;d be a good fit. considering the mets gave up the equivalent to a rotten banana for him, its not that big of a deal if he’s gone.
Guest
Francoeur for Dotel? Francouer for Fransworth? Francouer is trash.
Moebarguy
Pirates are going to get a prospect for Dotel–not a nuisance.
letsgogiants
Fransworth? Think you mean Farnsworth
Aiden
Braves fans are funny – acting like the Mets invested a lot in Frenchy…
coolstorybro222
When your GM says that he is the future of the team, then we act like that. I find this hilarous and another notch that proves Omar Minaya is a pinhead.
Dominick Totino
yea omar must be hating himself after trading the allstar gold glover ryan church for the high potential 26 year old.
iwishihadaclue
If Minaya really thought he was the future of this team, he would’ve offered him an extension.
iwishihadaclue
If Minaya really thought he was the future of this team, he would’ve offered him an extension.
Michael Duffy
When Omar referred to him as “the future of the team”, we all understood it as a meaningless platitude that was in no way, shape, or form to be taken seriously. Just something nice to say instead of “We’ll probably nontender him next year but he’s all we could get for Ryan Church.” Jeff’s 120 OPS+ with the Mets last year makes the trade worth it.
Michael Duffy
When Omar referred to him as “the future of the team”, we all understood it as a meaningless platitude that was in no way, shape, or form to be taken seriously. Just something nice to say instead of “We’ll probably nontender him next year but he’s all we could get for Ryan Church.” Jeff’s 120 OPS+ with the Mets last year makes the trade worth it.
Ian_Smell
The Pirates should trade Ryan Church for him. Church is absolutely useless.
Wilsonl
Francoeur is too.. kinda.
Ian_Smell
The Pirates should trade Ryan Church for him. Church is absolutely useless.
Nick Migliore
YES. Maybe the team has finally gotten over the belief his personality and arm outweighs his awfulness at the plate.
But I’ll be skeptical and say I won’t believe until I see it.
Nick Migliore
YES. Maybe the team has finally gotten over the belief his personality and arm outweighs his awfulness at the plate.
But I’ll be skeptical and say I won’t believe until I see it.
RoleModel
If he is released, he could land a job somewhere pretty easily, if he takes a pay cut, obviously. That can be said about a lot of players though. However, I think he could succeed as a platoon player in Texas, or the occasional spot starter. It’s a hitter’s park, a change in league and division could turn him around. He’s a solid defender with a great arm. Not much speed, but if he could find his power back in Arlington, his arm and bat would make up for that. He just needs to find a good home and re-establish himself. I doubt he’ll get back to his first two ML season form, but there’s always a chance.
bigpat
He will eventually make it to the Royals once they trade DeJesus and/or Guillen.
bigpat
He will eventually make it to the Royals once they trade DeJesus and/or Guillen.
icedrake523
Can the Mets trade him for Lastings Milledge? That would bring it all full circle.
icedrake523
Can the Mets trade him for Lastings Milledge? That would bring it all full circle.
Brandon Woodworth
Francoeur was coming around for us. He hit 3 freaking doubles the day before we traded him. Then he goes to the Mets last year and hit’s 2x homers in a harder park to hit them in and hits .310 in less at bats. We totally have something to be angry about. Ryan Church was crap for us. He hit nothing and was hurt a lot. The trade had no upside for us, only the Mets.
scottandwtb
Francoeur was NEVER going to come around. Don’t kid yourself. Look at him this year: back to his old ways.
scottandwtb
Not to mention that before that 3 double game – he was 2 for his last 13 (and not even starting every day)
dawgpaddlez
i dont know..out of a 6/7/8 spot in your lineup..his projected numbers after half the season..were 15+ homeruns and 80+ rbi’s…that’s not bad production from the bottom of the lineup..his arm also prevented several runs..i understand he’s not a great player..or even a good player..i’m just saying with some of his hot streaks he ends up putting up semi-productive numbers
dawgpaddlez
and not to mention..he was playing well and was in the middle of the fire during the mets different hot/winning streaks..and i agree with most of the others saying that clubhouse presence is often an overrated commodity..but with big market teams..there is something to be said for someone who stands out in front of their locker and answers questions after losses or during slumps..mets fans know this
Z'
That’s because you don’t get it. They didn’t trade for Church thinking he’d be a standout outfielder. They traded for a non-tender candidate they could cut loose without backlash from ignorant fans and the ignorant media. Check Atlanta’s record since the trade was made. That’s all you need to know.
Brandon Woodworth
I don’t think that our record has anything to do with those 2. They basically played the same role for us: nothing. I’m pretty sure neither affected our other hitters, starters, or relievers. And he sure as hell didn’t hurt the team with his defense.
Z'
Church didn’t start every game and didn’t bat in the middle of the order. Sure you can fault Bobby Cox for Francoeur doing either of those things, but that’s how it went. Long term move anyway. Atlanta has neither Church nor Francoeur now, and I bet they’re just fine with that.
Brandon Woodworth
I’d have been fine with Francoeurs lack of OBP in the 8 hole. He had way more power than Church, and not that big of an avg difference, with more power. That and his defense. I guess I just hate to see hometown kids get traded to rivals.
JC Abbott
Not trading a terrible baseball player just because he’s a “hometown kid” is a stupid sentiment, and the exact thing that the Braves FO needs to move away from once Bobby gets his old ass out.
The facts: Francoeur was awful, had been awful for going on two years, and showed no signs of improving or even making an effort to improve. He hit three doubles in one game? Whoop-dee-damn-do. Anybody can hit three doubles in a game. It’s called sample size.
Brandon Woodworth
Francoeur was coming around for us. He hit 3 freaking doubles the day before we traded him. Then he goes to the Mets last year and hit’s 2x homers in a harder park to hit them in and hits .310 in less at bats. We totally have something to be angry about. Ryan Church was crap for us. He hit nothing and was hurt a lot. The trade had no upside for us, only the Mets.
MannyBeingMVP
Francoeur is a very good defensive outfielder, an OK but inconsistent batter, and an OK guy who sometimes says stupid things. If he can picked up cheap, he would be a decent third outfielder for many teams. If I were the Dodgers, I would trade a law level pitching prospect for Francoeur, but not someone who could help the Mets this year.
Just_MLB
thank god Francour and Bay are not hispanic…can you imagine the backlash Omar would be getting….lol…
Yankeeboy11
The Yankees should pick him up. They can use him as the power bat off teh bench.
Jim Briggs III
Braves record since they traded Francoeur = irrelevant. One player did not make or break the Braves’ fortunes. Hitters getting out less and pitchers pitching better have made the Braves’ fortunes. Sure, Francoeur was one of those hitters, but this season noted “clubhouse cancer” Escobar was playing like crap and pissing off Little Larry Jones, and the Braves still somehow overcame that volatile chemistry to lead the NL East.