Jeff Francoeur

Jeff Francoeur is a hard player to figure out. He is so athletically gifted that you think he will snap out of the funk that has consumed him for 3 years at any moment. He has the potential to be a 5-tool player, but at this point the word 'potential' can't be used with him anymore. "Frenchy" has been playing in the major leagues for 5 years now, is it time to throw in the towel? What type of player is he?

Francoeur is one of my favorite players. He is a great guy and was a hometown hero when he played for the Braves. In 2006, I was at Six Flags with a bunch of kids and we saw Jeff there with his girlfriend at the time (now his wife). It was a off day for the Braves and he was getting off a roller coaster. I told the kids he was Jeff Francoeur so they ran up to him and he signed autographs for them and was incredibly nice to them. Based on my experience meeting him and other people's descriptions of him, they match to show me he is a great person. So nothing I have to say has to do with me not liking him.

When he came up in the summer of 2005 he was dubbed "The Natural", and he hit .300 with 14 home runs for the rest of the season. He almost led the league in outfield assists despite only playing half of a season. He was the 5-tool player everyone had hoped for. Then in 2006 Jeff hit .260 with 29 HR and 103 RBI...this was a great year, especially for a 2nd year player; he missed that 5th tool with the average but you figured he correct that in '07. He did get the average back up in 2007 hitting .293 and he had 105 RBI, but he only had 19 HR so his power was little down...still a really good year. By this point Jeff had cemented himself as the Braves right fielder and he was offered a long-term contract (similar to what Brian McCann signed), however, he declined as he wanted to prove he could improve his numbers and be worth more money. But in 2008 Jeff stunk up the place, only hitting .239 with 11 HR and 71 RBI. He had always been a free swinger, but now he looked lost and it was a terrible season. During the next offseason he worked out extensively to improve his power numbers, however things were worse in 2009. Jeff was horrible for the first half of the year, hitting .250 with 5 HR and 35 RBI and looking absolutely lost at the plate. He was always a fan favorite but now it was too awful to watch. I always love to watch him play but by the summer of '09 I conceited that Jeff should be traded, for his and the Braves sake. Indeed he was traded to the New York Mets and revived his season hitting .311 with 10 HR and 41 RBI the rest of the way. Even though he hit well, I never thought he could've accomplished that in Atlanta because of the pressure he was under, so I still agreed with the trade. In the offseason he was awarded a $5 million salary through arbitration.

In 2010 Jeff started out strong but has since floundered to a mediocre .230 average, and his power numbers are on pace to be the same as the last couple of years. He was even the subject of trade rumors near the deadline as the Mets didn't feel like he is an asset any longer. Jeff has actually hit two game-winning homeruns recently, but it almost feels like luck when he gets a big hit. He is now going to finish out the season as a platoon player in right field, and he will likely be non-tendered by the Mets this offseason.

So where is Jeff Francoeur going to go? What is he? If you think about it, he was good for 2 1/2 years before the '08 season, and he was good for the last half of '09. So in 5 years of play he has been good for 3 and bad for 2. But, of course, that doesn't cut it in the major leagues. He is still only 26 years old, but he's had the same overzealous hitting mindset his entire career...can he turn it around? If he doesn't turn it around then how can he be anything more than a platoon player; or a bench player that comes in for defensive replacement and occasional pinch hitting.

He just recently requested that the Mets trade him since they no longer consider him an everyday player. In July of 2008 the Braves sent him to AA to work on his offensive game and in 3 games he went 8 for 13, and was quickly called back up due to an injury on the big club. After he got back he said he was very upset about being sent down because of all the time he's devoted to the organization and he felt disillusioned. Well, the simple fact is that I think Jeff has becomed disillusioned about his game. Based on his comments about being sent down in '08 and now wanting to be traded, I can only conclude he doesn't understand his value in the major leagues. He needs to just play his game quietly and finish out the rest of the regular season.

Perhaps Francoeur will sign with a team like the Royals or the Pirates and get to play everyday. Maybe he will be able to turn it around and be a consistent player, even if he doesn't reach his potential. But I have a suspicion that he will become a platoon player for good within the next two years. Then I see him playing in the American League, used as a pinch runner, defensive replacement, and the 4th guy off the bench to pinch hit...getting 80 at-bats per year. I see him retiring at 31 or 32 years old. I hope none of that happens because I would like to see him make a turnaround and come back to the Braves and play in the outfield with Jason Heyward. We shall see.

JB