KC Royals: Miami Marlins Acquire Jeff Francoeur From Braves

The KC Royals will see a familiar face in the Marlins dugout for the rubber game of their series. Miami acquired OF Jeff Francoeur in a three-team deal Wednesday night.

The Marlins needed outfield depth with star right fielder Giancarlo Stanton out for the rest of the season. Miami filled this need in a three-team deal completed on Wednesday night that will send a pair of prospects to the Braves in shorstop Dylan Moore (Texas) and catcher Matt Foley (Miami), three international pool slots to Texas, and Jeff Francoeur to the Marlins.

The 32-year-old Jeff Francoeur hit .249/.290/.381 for the Braves this season. That’s something of an improvement, since his .290 OBP is his best mark since posting a .329 OBP in 2011.

Jeff Francoeur joined the Kansas City Royals in 2011 on a one-year deal and enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career hitting .285/.329/.476 with 20 home runs and 22 stolen bases. As a result, Francoeur became something of a fan favorite in Kansas City. Fans named the right field bleachers  the “The French Quarter” after him.

KC Royals general manager Dayton Moore signed him to a two-year, $13.5 million extension. But, Francoeur could not recapture the magic of his 2011 season. Francoeur slashed .235/.287/.378 in 2012, and .208/.249/.322 in 2013, before Moore finally released him. By that time, KC Royals fans were glad to see him go due to his struggles at the plate and his declining range in right.

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Swapping anything of value for Jeff Francoeur shows just how thin the August trade market is with one week to go before the September 1 deadline to for players to be eligible for playoff rosters. Francoeur has posted a 0.5 bWAR (Baseball-Reference Wins Above Replacement) in 276 plate appearances for the Atlanta Braves this season. In short, he’s little better than a replacement level bat with a strong arm in right field.

Next: Five Things The KC Royals Need To Sneak Into Post-Season

I guess one good thing about the Marlins acquiring Francoeur is that we won’t be seeing him return to Kansas City anytime soon.