Chicago Mets Fan

I Don’t Get It: The Ryan Church Trade

I’d been enjoying a visit by my parents when I checked Twitter for the first time on Friday afternoon. The first tweet I saw was regarding a trade that sent Ryan Church to the Braves for Jeff Francoeur. I’m not a stats person, so I haven’t compared. But based on what I have seen of Church over a season and half with the Mets compared to what I’ve heard and seen about Francoeur, I feel the Mets came out on the losing end of this deal and Ryan Church again is showed no respect by the Mets organization.

I hope I’m wrong. I hope Francoeur can add some much needed offense that the team needs.

Church is a guy who has done his job, makes no trouble and has always been shit on by Jerry Manuel. Whether it was his choice or the team’s decision for letting him play after a few concussions last season, who knows. But he played. He was having a great 2008 season till those injuries. This season, he was one of a small handful of players on the team that has several years of pro experience and still wasn’t getting the respect I feel he deserved from his manager and coaches. The outfield has been a mess. Pretend he were injured, it would’ve been worse, so really, the team should be happy to have had him. (Despite his 3rd base blunder. But you don’t see the Mets trading Luis Castillo or F-Mart or anyone else who have had just as bad errors!)

In the end I am not happy about this deal. Forget it was a deal with the Braves. It was a class act guy in exchange for someone who is not any better, and someone who isn’t enough to right the ship at this point in the season. It’s the biz, I guess.

Maybe I feel this way because Church is hot and was super kind when I met him and asked for the following picture:

There should be more professional athletes like this guy. I will mis you.