When the Phillies signed Jeff Francoeur as a one-year, $950,000 non-roster contract invite in the offseason, he joined a team on the verge of a rebuild with hopes of revitalizing his career. Fast forward to September and he is on his way to doing that, proving to be a huge asset for the Phillies off the bench and also in the locker room.
Francoeur is hitting .257 with 12 homers and 43 RBIs in 112 games and as a pinch-hitter, he is 11 for 28 (.393) with three doubles, a homer and 11 RBIs. There's no doubting that his veteran presence has brought some much needed leadership to a clubhouse that has undergone a variety of change over the 2015 season.
On Wednesday, Francoeur spoke to his plans for 2016, mentioning that him and the Phillies are both interested in having him back in red pinstripes.
“There’s mutual interest in me coming back,” he said before Wednesday night’s game. “They’ve got a lot going on in the front office with the general manager search, with Pete (Mackanin) taking over as manager. Like anything else, there will be an appropriate time to address it, but there’s mutual interest.” [CSNPhilly.com]
Francoeur turns 32 in January and the Phillies definitely understand his value, pulling him back from waivers after a claim in August. As the organization moves forward through this transition phase, having a guy like Francoeur around to stabilize the clubhouse and mentor the young players is something the Phillies shouldn't ignore.
Jeff Francoeur, through 11 big league seasons, is a career .261 hitter. He's spent time with the Braves, Mets, Phillies, Padres and Royals and placed third in Rookie of the Year voting while with Atlanta in 2005.
[h/t MLBTradeRumors]Brandon Apter (@bapter23), Managing Editor for Philliedelphia.com
