The Kansas City Royals have made at least one move during MLB's Winter Meetings and it's one many folks expected. Bob Dutton of the KC Star reports Jeff Francoeur will sign with the Royals. The connection of course is the Atlanta Braves when both Francoeur and Royals GM Dayton Moore were there.
Will McDonald of Royals Review has been waiting for this move and says it just doesn't add up.
Those are appalling numbers. Appalling. Francoeur's horrible approach at the plate doesn't just erode his ability to walk, it hurts his ability to... you know, hit the ball hard. In the last three seasons, Francoeur has been worse than Mark Teahen's career numbers, worse than Scotty Pods, and worse than Jose Guillen's Royal Era performance. Guillen "hit" .256/.308/.420 as a Royal.
The Royals were reportedly sniffing around him during the MLB trade deadline last summer but nothing came to fruition. What did come to fruition is the prediction from an unnamed NL executive last September on Francoeur's future:
One NL club official, on Francoeur in '11: "He'll be a Royal. Guaranteed."
Since Royals Review has been waiting -- unhappily waiting is more like it -- for this move to happen, you have to check out their reaction to the news.