Jeff Francoeur's Future Further Dimmed By Trade to NY Mets

No man in baseball is more patient than Bobby Cox. He proved that time and time again with the one they call Frenchy. But his patience finally ran out. Now former Braves outfielder Jeff Francoeur's career could be on its was to reaching new lows with his new team, the New York Mets.

With the exception of a four-game stint at AA last year, and a three-game benching a week ago, Jeff Francoeur started almost every game since his July call-up in 2005. 

Francoeur had every conceivable chance to work out his struggles. Maybe he was given too much. Jeff's attitude during his struggles seemed admirable. He spoke as if he was one four hit game away from going back to his old self

One thing he will do is play everyday. He expects to play every game. Since his 2005 call-up Frenchy played in 631 of 642 games the Braves have played. That's over 98 percent of games. When compared to former Mets right fielder Ryan Church, whose career has been laden by injury, it's not even close.

That's hardly the playing time you'd would expect from a player who had fallen out of favor with his manager. During that span the Braves' outfield became the one of the least productive in the majors, struggling to hit for power and knock in runs.

So who is to blame? During Frenchy's first full season, he hit 29 HRs but suffered a .260 average. In 2006, his home runs declined to 19, but his average improved to .290 and RBI total broke 100 again.

The Braves were happy. Frenchy was not. He wanted more power. He had a chance to sign a long-term contract just like his best friend and teammate Brian McCann. He got greedy and wanted to wait for bigger bucks. And then 2008 happened.

Maybe he worked out too much. Some writers have said that he thought too much like football player, although I'm not sure what that means. Maybe all that muscle he added messed something up. No one is really sure.

And then maybe Cox waited too long to send the message. Jeff's struggles kept getting worse as 2008 progressed but Bobby didn't bench him. The organization has long held the belief that young players don't get better riding the pine and that its key that they play everyday somewhere, even if that's in the minors. 

So on July 3, he was demoted to AA Mississippi in hopes that his old minor league manager would help him work things out.

And things might have worked if Jeff have spent a few weeks working things out. Maybe Frenchy would have had time to sit back and reflect. Unfortunately injuries forced the Braves hand and Jeff was back in Atlanta in a week, only this time he sported a brand new chip on his shoulder.

Francouer was somehow surprised that his .220 batting average was ground for demotion. Jeff's reaction could have been worse, his fun loving demeanor saved him once again, but he acted a bit childish to say the least, going so far to say the incident had "really put a damper on my relationship with the Atlanta Braves."

Within a day or two Jeff seemed to brighten up a bit but the ordeal didn't so much wake him up to the serious business of baseball as it did put the Braves' front office in his mental cross hairs. He was move defense about his struggles and had public rifts with a number of the Braves' beat writers. 

Francoeur's reaction showed that he thought was a proven vet that deserved better. The fact that the Braves could send him down to the minors in the first place without having to send him through waivers should have proved that he was still young.

Frenchy came to spring training 2009 with a newly acquired batting stance thanks to the Ranger's Rudy Jarimillo. Francoeur went behind the Braves' backs, not even telling them he was seeking outside help from a member of another organization. The Braves' weren't afraid to admit that they didn't like it, but in the end didn't care as long as he hit.

Francoeur started 2009 red hot, but in just a few weeks he regressed to his old self and even returned to his old stance.

Unfortunately it had become clear that Frenchy dosen't posses the mental strength to make the changes necessary for long term major league success. Talent only went so far. The Braves, and nearly every other major league team the Braves tried to trade Franchy too, saw this.

So can Francoeur turn things around in his new home? Its doubtful. The Mets can't afford to be as patient with Jeff as the Braves were. We all know about the meltdowns of the last two years and things was getting beyond nasty with the fans up north.

New York is a pressure cooker were the spotlight shines a thousand times hotter than Atlanta. Jeff couldn't handle a few boos from his hometown before his demotion last year. By 2009 the fans had pretty much come to expect little and had stopped booing. That won't happen in New York.

The Mets are also falling apart, and not its not just their hamstrings. A clubhouse rift between Latino and American players had erupted the past year. Its actually gotten better with the injuries to Reyes, Delgado, and Beltran, but that won't last.

And it might get better with Church's departure, who had somehow drawn the ire of Manuel and Minaya, despite the fact that it was Ryan's health the team jeopardized after playing him with two concussions last year.

For all the consistency, loyalty, and professionalism the Atlanta Braves show, the Mets struggle in all three categories. Bobby Cox was the one thing that kept Frenchy believing he could turn it around.

During spring training Francoeur answered a question about his confidence by saying, "As long as [number] Six has my back, I don't care about anything else." 

Jerry Manuel doesn't wear number six and its hard to imagine that that shell of a manager being able to give Frenchy the support he needs.

So unless Francoeur finds a miracle, expect him to be a free agent much sooner than he we ever expected, like this September.