JF vs. RC

The AJC’s Dave O’Brien showed statistically how the Francoeur / Church trade has washed. As Jeff Schultz said, these players probably would not have put up numbers these good had they remained on their original team.

Church has filled in at the leadoff spot, making his higher runs scored, OBP, and OPS important. JF has been batting 5th, making his slightly higher slugging numbers meaningful. Not to mention increased playing time for Garrett Anderson and Matt Diaz. Good for both teams, and good for both guys.

…So I was curious about how JF's production compared to that the of player he was traded for, Ryan Church. You might be surprised, especially given that initial Francoeur power resurgence and Church’s nagging elbow injury that slowed him early on after the deal and eventually kept him out of the lineup and required a series of cortisone shots. He’s also shared time with Matt Diaz in RF, though Church has gotten more time. Francoeur: 31 games, hit .288 (34-for-118), 10 extra-base hits (five homers), 21 RBI, 12 runs, and a .326 OBP and .466 slugging percentage for a .792 OPS. Church: 23 games, hit .265 (18-for-68) with seven extra-base hits (two homers), 11 RBI, 14 runs, and a .383 OBP and .426 slugging percentage for an .809 OPS.