It's bad enough the other team in New York goes out and picks up pitchers like Livan Hernandez and Tim Redding or thinks that Angel Pagan can still play. It's bad enough that they are missing most of their team to injury. If all that isn't bad enough, they then allow themselves to get hoodwinked by a team in their own division.
Do the Mets really think Jeff Francoeur is a better player than Ryan Church? They really think that? Francoeur has already done the unthinkable in losing Bobby Cox who hardly ever gives up on anybody. The guy has a 68 OPS+ for the year and an 89 for his career. One would think that the 68 is an anomaly with that kind of career mark (as bad as it is) except that Francoeur put up a 73 number last year in 652 plate appearances. A 71 OPS+ in his last 976 plate appearances would be a pretty good indication that Francoeur is not a very good player.
From all indications, Francoeur is a stubborn player who doesn't believe that a walk is anywhere near as good as a strikeout. He has been widely quoted as stating that all the new sabermetrics are a bunch of hooey. That kind of belief shows a guy who doesn't get that he has to improve all aspects of his game as a player if he expects any kind of longevity. He may not buy into sabermetrics, but just about every team in baseball now does. So who will win that contest?
And it's not just his offense. Francoeur has basically been given a two year bye in Atlanta because he once hit 29 homers in a season. he hasn't ever come close to that since, but at least he had positive numbers in the field. Until last season, that is. Last year he threw up a clunker and had a -14 RTOT. With virtually no offense, diminishing power and defense, exactly what kind of player did the Mets think they were getting?
And let's get this straight: The Mets need help on offense, so they trade a guy who is struggling compared to his career numbers but is still a better hitter than Francoeur? Ryan Church is having an off year at the plate (mostly because his manager hates him or something) and still has an OPS+ that is 20 points higher than Francoeur and is only one point less than Francoeur's lifetime OPS+. Umm...what were they thinking?
This observer could understand giving up on Daniel Murphy who has the same kind of numbers currently as Francoeur. But there is no way it seems correct that they went out and got a worse hitter than Church to help fix their injury-riddled offense.
The Braves are geniuses. Don't be surprised if Church doesn't blossom in Atlanta and don't be surprised if Francoeur becomes the latest Met to get booed into submission. The Fan is shaking his head in bewilderment...
2 comments:
El Flagrante,
If Francoeur gets it into his head that he's a doubles and not a homerun hitter than he'll do very well in the Mets' spacious ballpark. If he swings from the heels he'll be a 25 year old wash-out. As with all things baseball, it'll be interesting to watch.
I think Francoeur and Church needed a change of scenery. This might revitalize both of their careers.
Post a Comment