Jeff Francoeur Contract Extension Reaction Roundup

A selection of reactions to the Francoeur extension. The curious thing is, I think there was an almost counter-revolutionary moment here, where many pro-Francoeur people were overly defensive and ready to attack the anti-Francoeur people for being haters. There was some negative reaction along predictable lines, but the anti-negative-preemptive response seemed more virulent. Oh, I bet the statheads are going to be real steamed about this one, well screw them!!!!!!!!11 Maybe that's just me. But that's the fun of Twitter, it's kinda an open thread for the entire world and you can see what's out there.

Is Jeff Francoeur The New Kyle Davies? - Rob Neyer

But again, it comes back to the money. There's a decent chance that Francoeur will be worth nothing in 2013 and beyond, in which case whatever the Royals are paying him will be utterly wasted, like the $4.2 million spent on Kyle Davies this season. Sometimes being an ex-Brave can be highly profitable.

Royals Sign Francoeur to Keep Outfield in Place | FanGraphs Baseball

While it might appear at first to be a laughable move, stemming from GM Dayton Moore’s affinity for Francoeur, the extension might work out well for the Royals. Francoeur has been quite good this year, producing career highs in many categories. At age 27, it’s possible that he has turned a corner and will remain moderately productive during this short extension.

Joe Blogs: Signing Francoeur

I hope I'm wrong, but there's just a lot of evidence there that Francoeur is not a guy you can play every day in the big leagues. Over his career, he's hit lefties and not hit righties. Even this year, he's basically built his season off hitting lefties. But with a pretty hefty two year contract, the Royals will play him every day, and I just think that over the long haul he will probably get back to being around replacement level. I have a feeling that in 2013 especially, that contract will feel uncomfortable.

I’m not going to be one to rail against the extension.  It’s not the worst move the Royals could make and it’s not a franchise-crippling move.  It’s just odd (though unsurprising).  Yes, Francoeur can play reasonable defense and his arm is an asset.  Dayton Moore has stated that right-handed power is turning into a commodity in baseball and Francoeur fits the bill.  He’s hit 29 homers before, so it’s possible to occur again (though I’m not sure how likely given still-questionable pitch selection). Many Royals fans are elated that Francoeur will spend two more years here, and to an extent, I like him on this team.  Will that be the case this time next season or in two years?  That’s up to Francoeur.

Finding Meaning In Francoeur Extension - Royals Authority

While The Frenchman is having one of his better seasons, the fact that his secondary rate statistics have remained unchanged from the last several years, lead me to believe that the Royals won’t get the kind of production they seem to be counting on over the next two seasons.