Seriously, was Dayton waiting for my approval? Actually, I know that isn't the case, because a) I'm an insignificant waste of life and b) I offered no such thing.

The Royals have announced that Jeff Francouer is now semi-locked up, agreeing to a contract extension through 2013. This is not exactly shocking news, in fact we were all kinda waiting for it.

Right now, it is tough to evaluate the deal given we don't know how much money is involved, which is hugely critical. There's also the trade information, options, bonuses, etc. Nevertheless, if you wanted to see some of the young players in the outfield any time soon, this isn't welcome news. I am now even more deathly afraid of a terrible Gordon trade coming down the pipeline.

Moreover, if you were going to bring either Melky or Francoeur back, I don't know how you don't choose Melky. He's been better and plays a more premium position. But then again, hispanic players can't be team leaders, obviously.

As I wrote, once again, about ten minutes before this broke, Francoeur has had a nice season. To bring him back is most likely a case of buying high and signalling a real belief that the Royals can compete in 2012.