In the 2015 offseason, Jeff Francoeur was an afterthought. The Phillies gave him a minor league deal and a chance to attend Phillies Spring Training, and Francoeur batted just .227. Yet, the Phillies gave Francoeur a chance anyway. Francoeur spent the entire season on the Phillies roster, batting .258 with a WAR of negative 1.1 wins. Yet, Francoeur has no shortage of interest.
Last night, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN reported interest from two legitimate contenders:
#Brewers, #Pirates, #Rangers could have some interest in Jeff Francoeur as an OF bench bat if he doesn't return to #phillies.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) December 8, 2015
Would Francoeur turn down a chance at the playoffs for the Phillies?
Francoeur was a fan favorite, many citing "veteran leadership" to a young Phillies team in 2015. Francoeur certainly had his moments, but hardly commanded an offensively strong performance. The Phillies were the ones to give Francoeur a chance in 2015 to reclaim his career. Heck, Francoeur was serving as a pitcher at AAA in 2014, trying to come up with some sort of new life in his career. But Francoeur probably would want to win.
With three teams interested in Francoeur, at least one of them is likely to offer a Major League contract. If the Pirates, who won 98 games in 2015 and won a wild card, offer Francoeur a Major League contract, how could he possibly say no? The Texas Rangers are a strong contender in the AL West after winning the division in 2015. Francoeur has played there before for a playoff run in 2010. If he had a great time, would he turn that down?
The Phillies may not want to spend a 40-man roster spot on Francoeur right now as they try to accumulate young players with upside.
The Phillies' 40-man roster currently stands at 37, after outrighting pitcher Joelys Rodriguez off of the 40-man roster yesterday. That means that the Phillies have room to add one, or possibly two Rule 5 picks on Thursday. The Phillies will surely take advantage of their opportunity to pick first, and possibly pick someone in the second round. Let's say the Phillies add two players in the Rule 5 draft. They would be added to the 40-man roster immediately, and that means there would be just one slot left on their 40-man roster.
The Phillies have outfielders Aaron Altherr, Peter Bourjos, Darin Ruf, Cody Asche, and Odubel Herrera already on the roster. They could subtract Asche in a trade, but the Phillies really do not need to offer another right-handed bat a Major League contract at this time. They could offer a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training as they did last year, making no promises and keeping a backup plan in case Peter Bourjos spells disaster in Spring Training.
If the Phillies pick an outfielder in the Rule 5 draft, that further complicates the situation. Looking beyond the 40-man roster and to the 25-man roster the Phillies will open the season with, the Phillies probably need a second backup infielder beyond Andres Blanco, so Ruf has to be considered part of the outfield, even if he platoons at first base. If Asche is around, he could play second base in an emergency, but the Phillies might have one flexible spot.
While Francoeur is nice to have around as "veteran leadership", the Phillies need the roster spot for a young player most. Francoeur is 31 years old – still youngish in baseball terms – but probably would not forego a chance to win to be a leader on a team that will compete for a top draft pick before they compete for a playoff spot. The two just are not a match.
