Atlanta Braves

The All-Star Break looms only three days away.

Teams are assessing their standing for the second half and eagerly awaiting their opportunity for redemption (or, for some teams, more of the same) in the second half.

One team that is probably having difficulties doing the former is the Atlanta Braves.

The Braves are sitting at a decent 43-44, only (used in context here) five games back of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Braves have gotten what they paid for with their off-season money: very consistent starting pitching.

Jeff Francoeur is a Met. I’m not sure I like the sound of that, but I guess I’ll have to get used to it.

A trade that was just announced: The New York Mets have traded right fielder Ryan Church to the Atlanta Braves for struggling right fielder Jeff Francoeur.

I'd have to say the Braves win this trade, as they get a good young hitter in Church.

This is the second outfielder the Braves have acquired, the first being Nate McLouth.

So far this season, Church is hitting .280 with two home runs and 22 RBI. Church has 65 hits in 67 games.

In a move that truly surprised me, the Atlanta Braves traded Jeff "Golden Boy" Francoeur to the New York Mets for Ryan Church.

From all I can gather, the two are a wash on defense.

Francoeur has the better arm, but Church has the better range.

The issue lies with the bat.

Is Church an upgrade at all? Or is he going stick his left-handed bat in the lineup and stink up the place like Jeff did from the right side?

Let's look at the stats, shall we?

(age) Games/AVG/HR/RBI/OBP/SLG

Church (30): 67/.280/2 (in Citi)/22/.332/.375

Of course it would happen on the day that I come in from work and instead of writing and getting caught up on the day's news I grill out and mow the lawn. So, when I checked my cell phone for text messages around 9 p.m. I finally found out that Jeff Francoeur had been traded.

When I found out whom to and for I was shocked and perplexed, but ultimately pleased. While trading a former top prospect to a bitter division rival, the Mets, seems a little risky getting Ryan Church in return makes it a little better.

Prior to tonight’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, Mets GM Omar Minaya made an unexpected move when he announced that he traded away RF Ryan Church to the Atlanta Braves for RF Jeff Francoeur.

The Mets traded Ryan Church to the Braves for Jeff Francoeur. Hopefully this isn’t what the Braves needed to take the division, but I’m more concerned about Jeff. He’s hitting .250, which is more than he hit last year, and has five home runs.

In a trade early Friday evening, the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves swapped Ryan Church for Jeff Francoeur.

In 67 games this season, Church is batting .280 with two home runs and 22 RBI's. Church got off to a great start with the Mets in 2008, batting .320 with 10 Home Runs and 34 RBI's, but his season went downhill from that point, mainly due to a concussion.

The Mets acquired Church from the Nationals along with catcher Brian Schneider in exchange for Lastings Milledge on November 30th, 2007.

Brooks Conrad is no prospect. Not even close.

He is not a prized piece of the Atlanta Braves' future, such as Tommy Hanson, Jason Heyward, and Freddie Freeman. 
 
Conrad is a nearly 30-year-old, career minor leaguer. His only major league experience came last year with Oakland. He had 16 at-bats and struck out in nine of them. 
 
But Conrad is much different this year.

After reading Dave O' Brien's (Atlanta Journal Constitution writer) latest, I am convinced that the sooner Jeff Francoeur is released, the better.

Francoeur was benched for the third straight game in part because he's not good enough to start on some church softball league teams right now. But mostly because Matt Diaz is tearing the cover off the ball of late.

Francoeur told O' Brien that he "wasn't happy" with the decision. He went on to say, "I cant do anything about it."