There is a lot of hype surrounding Jeff Francoeur and his role on the 2009 team and what lies ahead for him. Let’s take a look around some Mets blogs about what they have to say about the Atlanta import…
MLB - Francoeur stays hot in Mets win vs. Nats
The Mets believe Francoeur will look sharp in their 2010 uni, so much so that they are inclined to approach him about signing him to a three-year contract that would allow him to become a big league Beau Brummel, if he so chose. They like what they have seen of him in and out of uniform -- from his spirited demeanor to his nuclear arm to the two doubles he produced Saturday afternoon in their victory against the Nationals.
Mets Fever - Is Jeff Francoeur our Paul O'Neill
Since coming to the Mets, Francoeur has been impressive, he's a decent fielder with a great arm and loves to use it, all the while hitting .315 ( 60 gms) with 33 RBIs and 7 HRs.
But whats been more important is the intangibles that he's brought to the table, he seemed to immediately become a main clubhouse figure and team leader.
He brings a hard nosed, passion to the team that has been missing for years. Playing through a thumb injury in meaningless games because he wants to.
Mets Merized Online - Mets To Offer Jeff Francoeur 3-Year Deal
Francoeur has been the lone bright spot for the Mets in the second half as he continues to sizzle at the plate. He came through again in yesterday’s win over the Nationals with two more doubles, an RBI and two runs scored.
Noble correctly states that signing Francoeur for the next few seasons would stabilize two-thirds of the outfield and five-eighths of the starting lineup for next season. His presence on the team has reduced Ryan Church to just a blur.
Mets Lifers - Jeff Francoeur is Mr. Met
Jeff Francoeur may be the lone bright spot of this lost season, but it's not this season that has me excited about the man with a rocket arm.
Francoeur is a heaven sent gift. The Mets haven't had a reliable arm in right since...think about it...since Strawberry? Oh wait, I forgot about Richard Hidalgo...right. Francoeur won't be the power bat and potential MVP candidate that Straw was but he's the first legitimate right fielder the Mets have had in what seems like the better part of two decades.
The Real Dirty Mets Blog - Make it or Break it: Jeff Francoeur - Starting Right Fielder in 2010?
I can’t look at the positives without mentioning his faults though. Jeff does not have the best eye at the plate, as evidenced by his lifetime OBP of .311 (ouch!) as well as his average of 120 strike outs per season. Another detriment to keeping Frenchie is his prolonged slump from 2008 through the end of his tenure in Atlanta earlier this season. In that time, he held a batting average under .250 and an on-base percentage under .300. If the Mets pay Francoeur $5 million next season, and he regresses to similar statistics, he would probably lose the starter’s job and Omar might take some of the blame.
Mets MD - Why Jeff Francoeur for 3 years is a bad idea
You want a 3 year contract, Noble? For a guy who has been worth -9.1 runs? He has been worse offensively than an average hitter. The track record is against him. He has the worst plate discipline on the team, swinging at 35% of pitches outside the strikezone. He is not good at baseball. You know who's better, and cheaper? Bobby Abreu. So, for once, Omar/Wilpons/who ever is the GM, make the right decision. Because if we sign Francoeur for 3 years, I'm done.
NY Baseball Digest – Jeff Francoeur Does Not Suck
- Unlike the other 24 guys on the roster, he actually can hit the ball out of Citi Field
- He plays every day, even when his thumb is mangled like a pile up on the LIE.
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The hate for Francoeur is beyond me. He embodies all that is good with professional baseball. Why would you hate someone that works hard to improve himself, wants to win, and has fun doing it? Can you win with eight Jeff Francoeur’s in the lineup? Of course not. But you could say the same for most players this side of Albert Pujols and no one is looking to throw them away.
Amazin’ Avenue – Jeff Francoeur’s Intangibles
Talk about Francoeur's statistics. Talk about his on-field performance (and the sites listed above generally do, to varying degrees). When doing so, don't completely ignore the 2500+ major league plate appearances he had before coming to Flushing. But please stop pretending intangibles are a significant consideration when deciding what to do with Francoeur this offseason. Character counts, but since we can't sufficiently evaluate it objectively let's stick to what we can evaluate. Leave the largely irrelevant intangibles topic for talk radio, the lowest common denominator of baseball discourse. (Next up on the talk radio docket, a discussion about how David Wright and Jose Reyes aren't "winning ballplayers"!)
Where do you stand on Jeff Francoeur?