10
2009
Mets Move Church, But Is This What Fans Were Praying For?
An article by Former Writers
Quick and to the point:
I don’t understand the trade. We didn’t gain anything better than what we gave away. The Braves may have needed a center fielder, which Church can be, but the Mets certainly didn’t need a right fielder, which Church was.
As Gary Cohen put it,
“A one-on-one deal, an outfielder for an outfielder, in the same division …”
If you ask me, both organizations got rid of guys their managers didn’t like. This deal wasn’t necessarily about either team benefitting or gaining anything on the field. Francoeur may be younger than Church, but other than that, I see no big “wow” factor here.
Fans will certainly miss Ryan Church, but I’m sure they would have been willing to give him up if the deal made sense. To me, this was an even swap.
Best of luck to Ryan Church in Atlanta … welcome to New York Jeff Francoeur.
About the Author: Former Writers
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I’m the optimistic one, and I can’t be too happy about this, mainly because I liked Church and would have preferred Rios. However…Jeff does have a spectacular arm and he did show power potential…It’s a wait and see thing for me.
I think Francoeur is gamer, plus he already has a gold glove and has more assists than any outfielder since 2006. In Cit Field, he will be a big factor on defense.
Offensively, he was on the verge of super stardom until the Braves embarrassed him and sent him to the minors after a slump. He was never the same since, and has wanted out of the Braves for a long time.
If HoJo can get him refocused, he could become an all star one day.
Let’s hope on that one. How long is he under team control? Because i’m confused about the arbitration aspect.
Francoeur is eligible for salary arbitration as this is his fourth full year in the majors. After his sixth full season in the majors (2011), he will be eligible for free agency. Therefore, the Mets still control Francoeur for two more seasons.
Much appreciated, thanks. So we have him this season, and two more…Alright, i’m liking this trade a little more now.
Joe, I do hope you are right!!
No, I think Joe is worong on this and you are right. He is a strikeout machine and this trade will not get the team going in the right direction. Big disappointment for Omar’s “big move”. Let’s see if we can load up on guys who go down swinging quickly.
This will be one of the trades they bring up when they finally fire Omar after this season.
Castillo’s contract however will be the soft spot on Omar’s pinata.
I think the Mets need the right handed everyday bat to balance out the lineup. I will miss Church, but I think this is an even deal that will benefit both clubs.
Sorry Denise, but I strongly disagree with you. This was a terrific trade for the Mets. (By the way, I am a big Church fan) Jeff is five years younger, a gold glove OF and has a much higher ceiling than Church. We saw what Chruch had — and it wasn’t more than what Francoeur has shown in the past.
An even trade? You expect the Mets to gain a Superstar without giving anything up?
This will not be the trade that decides Minaya’s fate. This was a terrific gamble by Omar. Church did not want to play here and has had trouble staying healthy.
Nice move Minaya!
Great, we got a first class strikeout machine. That’ll help!
Francoeur has made great strides to cut down on his strikeouts this season. He used to strike out over 100 times a year, but this year he has only struck out 46 times in 304 at-bats, hardly a strikeout machine as you say. Ever since his first full season in 2006, his strikeout total has dropped every season. I’m not defending the trade, just saying he’s no longer the whiffer you claim him to be.
Okay, hope you’re right, but time will tell.
I’m negative on this trade. I think it was just Manuel dumping a player he didn’t want. Francoeur is a strike out machine. He is a notorius first pitch swinger and does not work counts. For all of Jerry’s insistence on opposite field hitting and working counts, Frenchy is the opposite. Other than a strong arm, he is no great shakes in the OF. Only a matter of time until he works his way into the Doghouse. This trade got us nowhere. We should have packaged Church with another player to trade for a player who would actually add to the team’s capability. This is a big letdown and stupid move by Omar.
This was just weird. It just came as a bolt from the blue…i had no idea there were talks going on or anything. I don’t really get it quite Frankly. Francouer is o.k. He is younger than Church, but I don’t really see him as part of the Mets in the long term anyway. We need more players….not exchangeable players.