Of a pending 2-year contract extension between Kansas City and a (somewhat) revitalized OF Jeff Francoeur, Jonah Keri opined, “If it’s 2/$8M, not getting worked up over it. On a pure value basis, he’d earn that.” “If they’re paying him somewhere in the neighborhood of $5 million per season,” reasoned SB Nation’s Rob Neyer, “his contract can do only so much damage.” How fitting then, that the Royals and GM Dayton Moore saw fit to grace Francoeur with a pact worth $13.5 million, all but guaranteeing The Smile That Lit Up Flushing will be patrolling right field full- in Kansas City long after he’s cooled off in 2012 and 2013. Even before the financial details were revealed, Royals Review‘s Will McDonald wasn’t in a celebratory mood.
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 Alex 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.