Indians release Jeff Francoeur
By Matt Fisher
As teams begin to make cuts, one player who usually is a big contributor defensively was handed his release today.
The Cleveland Indians have granted outfielder Jeff Francoeur his release from the club today, states Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. Francoeur apparently started the day by shaking hands with all members of the media after being informed of his release.
Francoeur has always been known more for his defense, especially his arm, in the outfield while never really putting everything together consistently at the plate. He was in Indians camp on a minor-league deal trying to compete for the fourth outfield spot.
Last season, split between Kansas City and San Francisco, Jeff totaled 81 games, hitting .204/.238/.298 with three homers. The 30-year old’s prime seasons came with the Atlanta Braves to start his career. He played five years in Atlanta, hitting .266/.308/.424 over his time there, earning a Gold Glove in the process.
The Indians will open the season with David Murphy, Michael Brantley, and Michael Bourn in the outfield. They also have Ryan Raburn and Nick Swisher available to play outfield, although Swisher will likely see all of his time at first base.
GM Chris Antonetti stated that he and the Indians will try to help Francoeur land a big league job elsewhere.