Comments on: Church for Francouer: Making the Mets Worse, One Position at a Time

By: Great Scott

Great Scott — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:15:02 +0000

I know what the stats say. The 3 worst hitting RF in the NL are Giles , Francouer and Church. The deal is really not worth getting worked up about. It was drek for drek.
But forgetting the stats for a moment and look at what was going on the field.
Church’s body language was awful. He looked completely lost. The only way that may have changed was getting rid of Manuel since that was not going to happen they got rid of him.
Also Church has possibly cost the Mets 2 wins with his dropped fly ball and missing third base. If the Mets could have sent him to the minors or benched him it would have happened.
It is possible that Church could put it all together with the Braves it is also possible he could end up like Corey Koskie. ( concussion victim out of baseball ).

In the end most likely Francoeur will be a bust and non tendered at the end of the year,
but it was worth the gamble to make this move.

By: sylvan

sylvan — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 18:09:46 +0000

This is a catastrophe. Not for the trade itself, but for what it says about our team. As others have said, it’s not like the Mets were going to win a championship with Church, but he was at least a major-league-caliber baseball player. Francoeur is basically a glorified Wily Mo Pena at best, and he’ll be trotted out every day to save face for the front office.

But more importantly, the move indicates that Omar has learned nothing, and has no idea how to make this team competitive. Francoeur’s disdain for the concept of plate discipline is now symbolic of the arrogant incompetence of the entire organization.

Can you tell I’m disgusted with this team right now? I’m starting to wonder if the Mets really have deliberately changed David Wright’s approach to try to reduce his power in some ultra-misguided attempt to play to Citi Field’s dimensions. If that’s so, the entire coaching staff needs to be fired immediately.

By: WC

WC — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:05:17 +0000

Jason Werth was a guy with a lot of talent who had injury problems, got healthy, got a shot, and put it together.

Francoeur is a guy that had lots of raw power, never put together a good season in the minors, got called up young because they thought he could hit home runs and hope he might magically learn plate discipline when he’s shown absolutely nothing in his entire career to indicate that he could learn to take a walk.

Francoeur is horrible. Saying he might be a good player if he learns plate discipline is a lot like saying Angel Pagan might be a good player if he learns to hit 35 homeruns.

By: NateW

NateW — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:45:32 +0000

Oh I know that, but just watch, Omar will sell it…

By: NickM

NickM — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:28:47 +0000

if frenchy really stinks it up, they could easily dump him to texas in the off-season where jaramillo would take him under his wing and get him in that hitter’s park (seriously, look at Andruw Jones whose OPS increased over .300 points from last year to this year)… and then that opens the door to pick up a power hitting OF via free agency.

By: mrmetfan

mrmetfan — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:27:34 +0000

Omar, thanks to you and john ricco we pick up a guy the braves would have likely released soon, since Frenchy would have balked at being sent down. You saved the braves from a pr hit Thankfully you didn’t include 2 or 3 mid level prospects in the deal. 1 for 1 straight up. (wtf is this really u omar?) good luck church must be nice going to a team that’s in the playoff hunt. Play the kids.

Dump jerry omar the front office and sell the team wilpons. You can keep your likely NY Penn league champ team.

By: stickguy

stickguy — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:45:29 +0000

OH, and I think Toby alluded to this, but while I consider this deal to be a bit of a head scratcher, it is mostly a “whatever” change of scenery move. And it probably doesn’t change anything about the 2009 situation.

My real fear though is, what hideous move will Omar do next? ANd I really, Truly, do not think the FO has the faintest idea of a plan or long term vision. And giving those chickens without heads the launch codes could doom this franchise for a long, long time.

I am really starting to worry that if Omar keeps control, the 2010 team will roll out of ST uncompetitive, but with nothing left in the frm worth waiting for.

By: stickguy

stickguy — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 14:42:32 +0000

I pretty much side with Toby on this. But, in the grand scheme, the move by itself doesnt really matter (unless you felt you could get better talent back for Church).

If anything, it gives the mets 1/2 a year to see if they can get any improvements out of him, and to evaluate what they got. If he comepletely stinks out citi filed (highly probable), then they probably just cut him loose somehow.

At least they didn’t get stuck with a vernon wells like terrible contract, to go along with a terrible player.

And hey, it wouldn’t be the 1st time a hot shot “natural” prospect had to get beat down, before rising from the ashes, right? DIdn’t Jayson Werth do pretty much the same thing?

By: brian206

brian206 — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:56:14 +0000

I guess there is no longer a shot at getting Alex Rios. I thought he would have been perfect for the Mets. Simply moving him to the NL would boost his stats and while his contract is ridiculous this team should be able to make a move in which they give up a non prospect and take on money

By: NickM

NickM — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:40:53 +0000

no hes not. there is no way francoeur will be the power that replaces delgado, unless he suddenly bursts out for 30 HR with the Mets.