The Francoeur trade: A sad but necessary ending
This is how much the Braves wanted rid of Jeff Francoeur: They traded him to a team they’ll play 19 times a year, which means they’d rather put themselves in the repeated position of losing to him than have kept him around here. That’s how far the Golden Child had fallen, and how fast.
If you’d hung around the team this summer, you could tell the Braves’ patience had reached its end. Even after his Texas tutorial with Rudy Jaramillio, Francoeur was the same as he’d been last season, give or take. Even after vowing many times to be a new Frenchy, he was the familiar flailing Frenchy. And the Braves had seen enough.
He’s not a bad guy — on the contrary, he’s a fine fellow — but neither is he easy to coach. He’d been a success in every sport at every level but couldn’t master the adjustments every successful big-league hitter must make. It’s not that he didn’t try to change. He changed his swing several times. Trouble was, he couldn’t change himself.
Francoeur is a baseball player with a football mentality, and that doesn’t cut it over the long haul. A baseball player must be measured in his approach. The same aggressiveness that made Francoeur one of the greatest high school football players this blessed state has ever seen — as a Parkview junior, he averaged a touchdown catch as a wide receiver and an interception as a defensive back per game — ultimately rendered him a substandard big-league hitter.
Terry Pendleton and Bobby Cox get hammered for not imparting plate discipline on their prized pupil, but Francoeur was swinging at everything before he became a Brave. He batted eight times in a playoff doubleheader his senior season at Parkview; seven times he swung at the first pitch. He could get away with it then because he was just so gifted, but gifts alone don’t cut it in the major leagues. Not for long.
Loading ...Francoeur arrived in 2005 and rose to the moment, and we really expected no less. After all, he was a big-time athlete who’d spent his young life rising to such moments. But the Francoeur of 2008 and 2009 was a shadow of the rookie Frenchy. That one was dauntless. This one was aimless. For that first giddy season we were shocked if he made an out; for the past two summers we’ve been surprised if he gets a hit.
I can’t say this trade pleases me — I’ve known Francoeur since he was 17 and like him very much — but I have to say I saw it coming. By going to Jaramillo, he’d damaged his standing with Pendleton and Cox, and the only way you mend a damaged baseball relationship is by producing. And Francoeur had stopped producing at an acceptable rate. He’d become a liability. He needed something he could never get as a Brave. He needed a new start.
And now he has one. I hope he makes it work. I hope he hits .300 and drives in 100 runs next season and every season thereafter, and I don’t care if he inflicts major damage on his former employer. For the good of both parties, this was a trade the Braves had to make. Even if the only team willing to take Francoeur was the hated Mets, the Braves still had to make it.
On July 7, 2005, Jeff Francoeur hit a home run in his first big-league game. Four years and three days later, he was traded for Ryan Church, a right fielder having an even worse year. Four years and three days later, the Golden Child was given the golden boot.
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531 comments Add your comment
Pete
July 11th, 2009
12:43 am
As Dave O’Brien points out: “During spring training 2007, Francoeur was offered a contract similar to the six-year, $27.8 million deal that McCann was offered. McCann signed; Francoeur did not, thinking he would be worth more if he kept putting up big numbers like he did his first two seasons.”
Imagine if JF had not been so greedy the predicament the Braves would be in now!
Nite Owl
July 11th, 2009
12:43 am
Ok, ATL51, I’ll bite:
Frenchy: mentally unwilling or unable to have good at-bats. Swings at the first pitch too many times. Never took enough walks. Everyone tried to work with him, but in the end, he just reverted back to his “I can hit anything” attitude. It’s like a QB who never learns to read defenses—I don’t care how strong his arm is, it’s just not going to work out.
Andruw: never a very disciplined hitter, kind of a head case, wanted to pull everything no matter what anyone told him. One good year hitting .300, other years very mediocre or poor average. Great power numbers for a decade. I wouldn’t exactly call him an underachiever, more like a Hall of Famer. And as far as Bobby lighting a fire, isn’t this the guy Bobby took out of a game for not hustling?
K.J.: Bobby wanted to think this guy was a gamer, a throwback, has a beautiful swing, blah blah blah. He’s just Michael Tucker all over again—looks great in a uniform, but is horribly overrated. (Actually he’s not nearly as good as Michael Tucker.) His biggest problem is declining selectivity at the plate and a serious reduction in walks. Bobby gave this guy every chance in the world. K.J. is the batting version of Chuck James: at the end of the day, he’s not an underachiever—he’s just not that good.
Jordan Schaefer wasn’t ready, and it looks like he was hurt since the home opener, when he hurt his wrist, but he kept quiet about it. Definitely jumping the gun to call him an underachiever.
Yunel: how can you call one of the best shortstops in the NL an underachiever? He’s just a bit of a pain in the ass, but he’s producing just fine.
Bobby expects men to be men, and for you to work and get the job done. He shows more patience than any manager in baseball. He gives you every opportunity to work through slumps and get back on track. He encourages his players and he never bashes them in the press.
None of those guys are underachievers. Andruw is a borderline Hall of Famer who gave us a dozen great years, then wore out. Yunel is just fine. Schaefer will be just fine with some more seasoning. Frenchy and K.J. were given every opportunity to succeed, and they just couldn’t get the job done because they couldn’t make the mental adjustments at the plate, which no one can make for you.
NONE of this is Bobby’s fault. If you want to get on him for overusing relief pitchers and being TOO loyal to certain positions players (like K.J. and Frenchy) when it’s clear they’re not good enough, then fine. But Bobby has handled young players for years with great success. Sometimes the player has to take some responsibility.
Nite Owl
July 11th, 2009
12:48 am
Hey, uh, The Georgia Donkey… Acosta just closed out the game.
1-0 AF (After Francoeur.)
Mike Randle
July 11th, 2009
12:49 am
Frenchy was AAA at best at the plate. At the plate he had timer prior to the pitch. Every good hitter knows a timer is critical in timing pitches that can run from 70-100 mph. If we got a AAA or better player we did well in the trade.
joe
July 11th, 2009
12:51 am
been gone for a while and came on to find out ol’ frenchy’s been traded. our lineup will be better now. frency will go to new york and bat .400 for four games then be his same ol’ self. frank wren is a genius, and has cajones to boot.
Nite Owl
July 11th, 2009
12:52 am
And here’s one more for the Wren-haters before I hit the hay:
Derek Lowe, Wren’s free agent pickup, just held the Rockies to one run. (Man, is that Wren a moron.)
Mike Randle
July 11th, 2009
12:52 am
I should correct that last submission. Frenchy had no timer. Not that he had a timer. You could have put a hat rack at the plate and gotten half the production of Frenchy. He was shell-shocked at the plate. No plan, no clue, guessing at every pitch because he had no timer. But wait, the best timer in baseball is Gary Shefield. Doesn;t he play for the Mets? Uh o
jed
July 11th, 2009
12:53 am
great trade. cant help wondering what the mets are thinking taking on JF. anyway, frank wren’s a pretty smart character. let’s hope bobby’s smart enough to turn RF into a church / infante platoon. church .310 vs rhp / infante .385 vs lhp
Dan
July 11th, 2009
1:00 am
The Mets will not resign him. He’ll never last. Look at Glavine, he optioned out of big bucks just to get out of New York. I think as long he’s married to he’s married to, Jeff will have problems.
Ste
July 11th, 2009
1:09 am
Why are people complaining about trading him to the Mets?
We just sent one of the worst players in the majors to a rival in return for a decent one!
That’s great! We get better. They get worse.
It’s an awesome trade that’s almost too good to be true. What are the Mets thinking?
RHR
July 11th, 2009
1:38 am
100% agree with Mark. Best of luck to him but my god I’m glad he’s gone. It was never going to happen for him here. Will be interesting to see how he handles NY.
Famuan
July 11th, 2009
2:03 am
LOL…hilarious. Francoeur was supposed to be “the one” wasn’t he?
andrewknight
July 11th, 2009
2:04 am
The Braves essentially cut Frenchy–yep, despite the fine first impressions–and loving nature–he was dumped….sent packing….I assume it was damage control as the Braves’ management rushed him in to slash and beat a fastball to death–this kid swung the bat like a “Rambo” taking ritalin…on the major league level one must take a more scientific approach.
Robert0259
July 11th, 2009
2:05 am
Amazing. All the armchair GM’s second guessing professional baseball people…Francoeur’s stock has sunk so low that Braves management is willing to practically give him away to a main division rival..that’s how sure they are that Francoeur is done..
scottbravesfan
July 11th, 2009
2:34 am
Do you idiots even watch baseball? Ryan Church is a much better hitter than Francoeur, although that’s not saying much, he at least has an on base percentage higher than 28% which is just brutal. Church is good in the field as well. But he’ll be gone after this season Jason Heyward will be our every day right fielder next season and no one will remember who the hell Jeff Francouer ever was.
Jerry
July 11th, 2009
2:35 am
Good trade for both teams, Braves get rid of bad baggage–Mets get out of a contract. Braves has carried this guy for two long years because Cox liked him, no other reason. If he had gone the collage route, instead of signing with the Braves, he would not of been picked by anyone. And don’t worry about him hurting the Braves, he’s going to play for the Mets just like he played for the Braves, glad to see him gone.
Jerry
July 11th, 2009
2:41 am
Vincent– if you read this, This trade has nothing to do with trying to fix a team. As I said earlier it’s about bad baggage for one team and contract for another.
The General
July 11th, 2009
3:05 am
The Colonel-
why are you complaining about this being biased when that is the entire point of this? it is a commentary, not a report. this is an opinion. you simply cannot argue over “good” and “bad” journalism when someone is doing their job.
also, i don’t know Bradley, but i bet that you disliking him has almost zero impact.
alvin
July 11th, 2009
3:38 am
As a big JF fan, so long my friend!!
Braves around the world, I fear this will be a trade that will haunt us for YEARS to come…..
Hope all you Jeff haters were right….
alvin
July 11th, 2009
3:41 am
Jerry
July 11th, 2009
2:35 am
Good trade for both teams, Braves get rid of bad baggage–Mets get out of a contract. Braves has carried this guy for two long years because Cox liked him, no other reason. If he had gone the collage route, instead of signing with the Braves, he would not of been picked by anyone. And don’t worry about him hurting the Braves, he’s going to play for the Mets just like he played for the Braves, glad to see him gone.
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You do realize JF may have been the best HS player in state history right?
yogi2
July 11th, 2009
4:06 am
I think this is a very good trade. Frenchy was a 90 day wonder, every ball that he swung a was hit hard, Reality caught up with him. he was mediocre in the minors, CRied when not called up, cried when sent down last year, a real cry-baby suck. Worst hitter in Baseball , Ryan Church is a real journeyman,a great trade for Atlanta. Welcome to Atlanta
Daniel A.
July 11th, 2009
4:07 am
You are on a roll Mark Bradley. Good write-up.
For those whining about us trading him to the Mets: the fact that we dealt him to the Mets should tell you something… namely that Frenchy was worth so LITTLE, that the only team we could find to take him off of our hands was the Mets. It was THAT bad.
Those of you being sentimental: grow up. Baseball is a business of winning, and Francoeur was a grossly sub-par employee.
yogi2
July 11th, 2009
4:17 am
The Braves now have 4 very good experienced outfielders with Anderson,McLouth, Church and Diaz with Blanco a Back-up. All are veteran players that hit for a high average. I think all will have a better second half, especially Anderson. With Prado at Second base, we have a solid line-up to go with a super pithing staff. GO BRAVES
kevin
July 11th, 2009
4:37 am
Now that francoer a met i wish him luck….if u read this frenchy remember listen to howard johnson on u swings…..and i bet u debut be a good one 4-5 2 homeruns n 6rbi tonight vs reds and u be adored at citi field….and please kill us when u come here with mets next week frenchy…..
Nancy
July 11th, 2009
4:40 am
Can’t wait to hear what Smoltz and Glavine have to say to reporters about this deal!!!!
Goodbye Frenchy….Don’t forget to pack your lucky Tuckey drawers!!!
ed simmons
July 11th, 2009
4:52 am
Time for Bobby to retire.
BravesFan79
July 11th, 2009
5:10 am
This Deal SUCKS!! Church?? WTF… id rather have Diaz out there….
Pendleton and maybe Cox should of been the ones to go, NOT Francour! If anything we should of sent him to AAA to regain his confidence.
safari
July 11th, 2009
6:01 am
What better way to stick it to the Mets? give them JF. Great trade and should help to keep them out of the pennant race.
NCBravesFan
July 11th, 2009
6:35 am
The thing that makes this trade so good from the Braves’ perspective: there was really no-one available to take Jeff’s place in RF within the organization (I’m sorry, Matt Diaz is not the answer in RF day in and day out. He just isn’t, and the Braves know that. Same thing for Brandon Jones on the farm.). Church is not a long-term solution by any means – and I doubt he’s the last trade we’ll see the Braves make this month to tweak the OF.
Church, at best, is a placeholder for Heyward – if he is able to stick on the roster that long. He’s arb-eligible, meaning he will probably get non-tendered in the offseason. Just like Jeff was going to be.
The thing that makes this a good trade from the Mets’ perspective: they get rid of a guy who had fallen out of favor with the manager and was most likely not going to be offered a contract next year in exchange for a guy who has hit a wall in his hometown and needs a change of scenery.
The Mets could come up Yahtzee if Jeff can start hitting again – but they still have a lot of problems that need solving before they can be considered contenders again.
My guess is that neither player acquired will be with their new teams come opening day, 2010.
deja vu
July 11th, 2009
6:38 am
His rabbit ears will drive him insane in NY and render him even more useless that he was here. Good riddance. And thank you Frank Wren for not being miss manners or a sentimentalist like most braves fans. I’ll take Tommy Hanson and anybody over 2009 Glavine and Francoeur. I’m so sick of watching him swing at every first pitch and every low outside slider. He’s too hard headed to be a big leager and I’ll be shocked if he ever changes. It would be interesting to see a blood test from 05 and 06…Brett Boone anyone????
jimmya
July 11th, 2009
6:39 am
WREN paid 60 mil FOR LOWE 20 mil to much think we could have got a BIG BAT for that FIRE WREN
Sonny Clusters
July 11th, 2009
6:58 am
Reminds me of shirts and skins when we was playing ball together back before we was in school and just in the neighborhood and sometimes we’d be shirts and sometimes we’d be skins. Every once in a while we’d let the skins pick Jeff because we knowed we could strike him out. I’m just saying. I’m thinking Bobby Cox won’t have much luck with Jeff batting for the Mets because Bobby dont seem to understand.
Drexel Gal
July 11th, 2009
7:04 am
Most of you are too young to remember this … but … this reminds me of when an aging Jackie Robinson was traded by the Brooklyn Dodgers to their worst enemy, the New York Giants, after the 1956 season. Robinson chose to retire, rather than report. But the point is, anyone can be traded to any team, so this is not without precedent.
Maybe Next Year
July 11th, 2009
7:05 am
Please stop putting Francour’s name with Smoltz and Glavine. Francour has not done squat compared to those two. Let’s face it Frenchy was playing like a Frenchy. He was a whiner b/c he didn’t want to go to the minors and thought it was an insult. Well excuse me, that’s what being a pro baseball player is all about, perfecting your craft and Francour was either unable or unwilling to do so. If Francour was not a native Atlantan this would not be the near the discussion that it is. Some of you need to take the homer sunglasses off.
jerry
July 11th, 2009
7:07 am
I’m surprised they could even give him away. But as for Bobby and Terry, screw them. I don’t blame Jeff for trying to find someone to help him with his hitting. It was obvious that these no nothings couldn’t. But Mama Cox loooooooooves his players and his players loooooooove him–well maybe Jeff doesn’t love him as much as he did.
Maybe Next Year
July 11th, 2009
7:11 am
I refuse to call a grown man “frenchy”. Good riddance.
falcon
July 11th, 2009
7:23 am
Dr R……why don’t you tell us how great of a manager Bobby Cox has been in October? Oh wait, he hasn’t managed many games in October has he? No….he usually checks out early when it comes to the playoffs.
One area the Braves will desperately miss Francouer will be in right field. Matt Diaz playing right field? OMG, talk about a defensive liability. With Anderson in LF and Church/Diaz in RF. Looks like a serious problem to me. McLouth is going to get run completely ragged out there.
When the dust settles on this one, I think we will see that the Braves got the short end of this deal.
Hawk01
July 11th, 2009
7:36 am
Church will not be here very long. He will be traded again before the deadline. I believe Wren was trying to get someone that had some trade value. Church is more tradeable than Francouer is. To many left handed bats in the lineup and I believe Church will only be here good thru this month. This is just a stop gap until Heyward is ready possibly next year.
Francouer will never be a disciplined hitter no matter where he goes. I am glad to see him for his own good. He would have never prospered here in Atlanta. He;d better get his act together for NY fans will turn on him in a hurry.
marc
July 11th, 2009
7:51 am
I cannot believe people are defending Francoeur. He is one of the worst players in baseball. Church isn’t Hank Aaron but he is a hell of a lot better than Francouer. Francouer was never much good even during his “good” seasons and those are long gone. Blaming TP is pointless; the guy never made any adjustments. Good bye and good riddance.
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
July 11th, 2009
7:55 am
we traded unrealized potential for unrealized potential. We get a better avg., they get a better defensive player. Now for all the TP bashers, get ready for “if TP is so bad then how do you explain Prado, Blanco and Conrad doing well.”
Mitch C
July 11th, 2009
8:00 am
Mark, you said in one of your earlier posts that the Frenchy/Church deal “Isnt the trade for the big bat we’ve been waiting for”, so, my question then is, with less then three weeks left until July 31, what else is going to happen, and who is going to go?
The funny part is: Jeff is going to a team that has even worse problems than the Braves. Many of their key players are out, they’re 6 1-2 out of first, and fading fast. Pretty soon, they will be talking abour 2010 for the Mets.
I hope the Braves can hit a good streak, but the way things look now, there are truly only two teams left in the NL East race, Florida and the Phillies. Philly has been playing very well lately. If the rest of the NL East isnt careful, and Philly keeps playing as they are, this division could be over by August 1st.
Mitch
JY
July 11th, 2009
8:08 am
The five year difference in their age is huge!!!!!!
JOE BROWN (PARTS GUY)
July 11th, 2009
8:09 am
I cant believe what just happen this might hunt the braves if Jeff starts playing very will at Mets and starts hitting those crazy homeruns.
R. Brave
July 11th, 2009
8:10 am
The only reason they traded him was because as the one dude keeps writing “he was a player– not of color”
Gen Neyland
July 11th, 2009
8:12 am
The irony here is that McCann will be working against Francoeur next week, not with him…As for TP being the downfall of JF’s bat, time will tell if that one holds water.
Stephen
July 11th, 2009
8:40 am
Good trade, everybody needed it. Frenchie, remember everybody will be cheering for you and hope you do well (hopefully not against us though).
Good Luck
Ted Striker
July 11th, 2009
8:46 am
Francoeur gets only slightly less respect from some folks here than Willie Martinez and Mike Vick. Which leads me to this. They may each have their particular flaws but I’d rather have any of the three on my jury than a lot of you saints.
Braves Mom
July 11th, 2009
8:50 am
It was time for Frenchy to go. Personally, I started losing patience w/ him after his public reaction to being sent back down last season.
He seems to be a truly good guy, but, I agree he needs a fresh start.
I too hope he does well in New York, if not, the fans there will eat him alive.
the truth...
July 11th, 2009
8:52 am
They didn’t have to non-tender Francoeur…they had plenty of options to send him down to work it out….isn’t it ironic that the day after he goes three for four he is dumped?
So one reader says that because of this blog the Braves were burned out on Jeff? Pardon me boys and girls but this blog is just a bunch of folks making their Monday morning quarterback decisions known…it is not a huge grouping of wisdom, me included.
These blogs are one thing for the AJC…ways to attract hit since they can make zero money selling paper anymore…
So again Mr. Bradley….they did have options….let him spend a while in the minors and get it worked out….
I’ve been a Brave since I was a kid, when in ‘57 Aaron in his youth (you should have seen him then!!!!) they went to the WS and played the damned and hated Yankees…
The level of stupidity of this bunch of “management” is absurd…Glavine, Smoltz, now Francoeur and of course the great giveaway of the farm for an ego freak Tex who saw this as nothing but a stepping stone to the ultra money…
….and for Tex we gave away so much? Give me a break…thank you Mr. Frank Wren…so whatever great moves you’ve made this year, these dumb ass ones trump them all…
…and you Bradley….you are an idiot…
RK
July 11th, 2009
8:53 am
this was a Bobby Cox trade, for Jeff’s good. Francouer has potential and Bobby did him a favor. If he doesn’t get better, NY fans won’t be supportive as his local following. Bobby respected him by moving him away.