Mets Trade Ryan Church To Braves For Jeff Francoeur

by Eric Simon on Jul 10, 2009 7:00 PM EDT

The Mets and Braves have swapped outfielders, with Atlanta receiving the left-handed Ryan Church and New York landing the right-handed Jeff Francoeur.

It appears to be a one-for-one deal with the Mets receiving cash considerations. Church is five years older and more injury-prone, while Francoeur has a strong arm and can't hit a lick. Mets fans are already looking for the nearest bridge.

Mets GM Omar Minaya had this to say in an impromptu news conference announcing the trade:

This had nothing to do with not liking Ryan Church, but, one thing we like about Franceiour is the amount of games he plays.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Jeff Francoeur	82	304	32	76	12	2	5	35	12	46	5	1	.250	.282	.352

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2009 - Ryan Church	67	232	26	65	16	0	2	22	17	36	6	2	.280	.332	.375

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Comments

hahaha this is great

by Heyward is the next crime dog on Jul 10, 2009 7:02 PM EDT reply actions

LOLMets.

OverTheMonster - ALLERGEN WARNING: May contain peanut butter.

by bdalebs on Jul 11, 2009 1:52 AM EDT up reply actions

THIS SUCKS

by wrightnumber5 on Jul 10, 2009 7:11 PM EDT reply actions

So who wins the prize for worst trade of the day? and possibly of year

Royals or Mets?

by Clemenx00 on Jul 10, 2009 7:25 PM EDT reply actions

lets visit this question in a month or so

by Heyward is the next crime dog on Jul 10, 2009 8:00 PM EDT up reply actions

The Royals got a bad shotstop to replace a bad shortstop.

The Mets just took a straight downgrade. They didn’t hurt their future like the royals did, but the Mets have no real reason to make this trade. Church is straight up better.

Both were dumb, but I would give the dunce cap to Manaya.

by IceStormV1 on Jul 10, 2009 10:15 PM EDT up reply actions

yeah the mets braves trade just doesnt make sense but I love it

by Heyward is the next crime dog on Jul 10, 2009 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Royals also now have a huge contract in Betancourt.

OverTheMonster - ALLERGEN WARNING: May contain peanut butter.

by bdalebs on Jul 11, 2009 1:53 AM EDT up reply actions

I don't get why this would be the worst trade of the year....

Francoeur is obviously not hitting like he did his first 3 years, but who is to say that a change of scenery wont get him back to some hitting. What upside do you see in church? He is always hurt and is an average player. I haven’t looked into this much, this is just an initial reaction, I dont know much about either player to really say, but to me, this isn’t that bad a trade for the mets. Based solely on potential.

What you fail to understand in your joyless myopia is that baseball is the key to life-- the Rosetta Stone, if you will. If you just understood baseball better all your other questions your, your... the, uh... the aliens, the conspiracies they would all, in their way be answered by the baseball gods.

by winchester5 on Jul 10, 2009 8:01 PM EDT reply actions

the braves are just going for Win-Now

but they are not adding payroll doing so

No one goes there anymore, it's too crowded. - Yogi Berra

by trademan56 on Jul 11, 2009 1:23 AM EDT up reply actions

Yep.

Plus, Church’s best season was 131 in OPS+, higher than any of Frenchy’s best – who’s to say he doesn’t “get…back to some hitting”? /stolen from Sky Kalkman

OverTheMonster - ALLERGEN WARNING: May contain peanut butter.

by bdalebs on Jul 11, 2009 1:55 AM EDT up reply actions

another thing is that Churches contract is up after 2010 so that allows us time for Heyward to develop (at the start of the 2011 season he will only be 21)

by Heyward is the next crime dog on Jul 11, 2009 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions

it does

what are the mets going to do with francoeur after 2011 if Heyward is up.

P.S. Is the guy Heyward the guy in your screename

No one goes there anymore, it's too crowded. - Yogi Berra

by trademan56 on Jul 11, 2009 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions

How would that affect Francoeur?

Pete Rose was actually banned from baseball for teaching Jeff Francoeur how to play. He made up the gambling stuff to hide his shame.

by VivaLosBravos on Jul 11, 2009 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions

I think he thinks Heyward is in the Mets organization.

OverTheMonster - ALLERGEN WARNING: May contain peanut butter.

by bdalebs on Jul 12, 2009 12:41 AM EDT up reply actions

oh sorry

my brain died for a second

No one goes there anymore, it's too crowded. - Yogi Berra

by trademan56 on Jul 12, 2009 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes I chose that name bc when we drafted Heyward they said is Left handed swing is similar to Fred McGriff (crime dog) and I dont understand youre first question

by Heyward is the next crime dog on Jul 11, 2009 2:34 PM EDT up reply actions