KC Royals: The up-and-down career of Jeff Francoeur

His playing career ends but Jeff Francoeur manages to stay around the game.

Francoeur dug himself into a slump once again in 2013 and was hitting .208 with three home runs in 59 games. Those numbers were his last as a Royal—the club designated him for assignment in June.

It didn’t take that long for him to find another home, though. He signed on with San Francisco, spent a short time in the minors, then returned to the big leagues in mid-July. Francoeur appeared in just 22 games and hit .194 before the Giants released him.

Cleveland signed him to a minor league deal that winter but released him before the 2014 season began. The Padres soon picked him up and sent him to Triple-A; he made it to San Diego in late July, but hit only .083, was outrighted in mid-August, and elected free agency after the season.

Francoeur’s 2015 was better—he played 118 games for the Phillies and hit .258 with 13 home runs.

Francoeur wrapped up his career in 2016, splitting time between the Braves and the Marlins and hitting a combined .254 with seven home runs. He finished his 12-year career with 160 home runs and a .261 average.

But his days in baseball weren’t over. He started a new career in broadcasting and has worked as an Atlanta color analyst since 2017. He’s also done postseason work for TBS.

It’s great to see Francoeur still involved in the game of baseball. While his career was very much a roller-coaster of ups and downs, he was a down-to-earth player who enjoyed a mutual admiration society with fans.

Despite his up-and-down career, Jeff Francoeur might be one of the most beloved players in Royals history.