It's time. Let's just go ahead and get it over with and move on to Plan B. Your GM can't get over Jeff Francoeur until he's gotten him, after all. Better still, your owner can't realize he has to make a change until his GM just absolutely leaves no doubt.
So let's go. Let's do it. This has been a joke and a threat for years now, and it's something we've all seen coming. Acquiring Jeff Francoeur would instantly become the most predictable Dayton Moore move of all time. More predictable than signing Pods, more predictable than bringing in Bloomy, more predictable than even Yost becoming the manager this season.
It's time.
Francoeur's good and overpaid now, which makes it even better. He's a better Moorean fit now. Well, he's still a little young, but when you can snag one of the worst outfielders in the game for what's left of a $5 million dollar salary. You do it. You do it every time. Assuming you're incompetent. I mean, heck, it's almost like he's got better numbers than Mitch Maier. Almost.
Ex-Brave, impatient as hell, a pure out machine, out-sized reputation based on last generation's methods, getting expensive, all of it. The perfect package. The only worry is that he'll be overshadowed on the roster. It'll be a tough choice to make for the apologists on that rare day when Yuni and Frenchy both make good plays in the same inning.
Now there are some who will tell you that Jeff Francoeur can't play this game...
Jeff Francoeur's career began brilliantly. We always act like these things are a sure fire portent of a future star, but they actually happen all the time. Through his first 53 games, Jeff Francoeur hit .332/.370/.631. He had an OPS over 1.000. He slumped the rest of the way in 2005, and essentially, he's been in a slump ever since. From that point on, Game 53 of his rookie year, Francoeur is hitting .264/.306/.413. But hey, what's 748 games and over 3082 plate appearances between friends? He probably just needs an organization and fanbase that's fully behind him and gives him regular playing time, right? Oh wait, already had it. He needs a change of scenery. Yea, definitely that. We can't overlook the human element, can we? Oh...
The Tiger isn't changing his stripes. Our GM likes bad players. I don't know why, there's just simply no way around that fact at this point. He's been around for awhile now. Like Jeff Francoeur, he's firmly established his performance level.
We can all see this coming. Have for years. It might not seem like it right now, but this is how recovery starts. It's time.