The Braves acquired third baseman Juan Francisco from the Reds in exchange for right-hander J.J. Hoover, according to a press release from the team.
Francisco, 24, has appeared in 81 games for the Reds over the last three seasons, posting a slash line of .284/.331/.450. The left-handed hitter was out-of-options and MLB.com's Mark Sheldon writes that he showed up to camp overweight and did not properly rehabilitate a right calf injury that he suffered over the winter.
Hoover, 24, will report to the Reds' Triple-A affiliate. The 6'3" hurler split time between Double-A and Triple-A last season, making 14 starts and 29 relief appearances. In total, Hoover registered a 2.64 ERA with 10.0 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 2011.
Didn’t see this coming, despite Francisco’s poor performance this spring…why can’t the Reds seem to get good 3B from their farm system? Edwin Encarnacion, Brandon Larson now Juan Francisco.
Watch him be Chipper’s successor.
In the whirlpool.
Let’s not forget Jeff Branson or Willie Greene.
Encarnacion was from the Rangers farm system.
Yep but he still spent time in our system. Same with Russ Branyan, spent time in our system then came up and wasn’t anything so we let him move on then he became good. For some reason, if a 3B comes up in our system and plays for us…he’s no good, send him elsewhere and he’s good.
Brandon Larson being the exception.
Why are people surprised? Francisco was out of options, and the Reds have 5 players competing for 2 bench spots.
Todd Frazier plays 6 positions and is a better fielder than Francisco, who really can only play 3B.
Thank you….it was bound to happen dude couldn’t stay healthy and fraizer was a top prospect
Robbery for Atlanta. I think Francisco will be a good player.
Considering the Reds options were to just DFA or trade him (since he was out of options and not making the team) they got a pretty damn solid pitcher in return.
Exactly, both teams made the trade due to each of their strengths. Francisco was in the same boat David Ortiz was with the Twins when he was taken, or numerous others that didn’t put it together even though they still very well could. For the Braves they got some 3b help for a relatively low cost, while Francisco finds himself in a pretty terrific opportunity, a team with 3b & LF openings from the get-go. The Reds get an arm back like the one they sent the Padres way in the Latos trade, Brad Boxberger. Which is hellofa lot more then the Twins got for Ortiz, so yeah, not a bad last resort return for the Reds.
Small trade and all, but a pretty decent example of a true trade. Some team will probably get Kyle Blanks from the Padres in the same fashion during the next year. Sucks to lose those guys, but opportunities are limited and sometimes other options make more sense.
Add Pedro Alvarez to the list in the next 2 years.
Yeah, I over exaggerated. Not complete robbery. They gave up a solid pitcher, but if Francisco lives up to the potential he has with his raw power, I think it was worth it.
True, but Hoover was the 13th-highest ranked prospect in a farm system loaded with arms. He has upside.
Robbery. I don’t really think that’s a good word for this. Yeah he has power numbers but really that’s all he has ever shown his defense is not very good and he does not really bat for average either. Fraizer had a good spring and has shown decent numbers in the past too. Not a bad move I feel for the reds to get a pitching prospect too out of this.
This is a bad April Fools joke for the Braves
Why? ATL isn’t deep at 3B/LF, and we give up a pitcher that wouldn’t be utilized because of all the talent in front of him. Hopefully a change of scenery is what Francisco needs, possibly motivating him. Not bad career numbers and he still has time, though not much.
He has been hurt off an on for the last couple seasons and he has no plate discipline.
Would have preferred Todd Frazier. Don’t really like this trade for Atlanta.
We prefer Fraizer too, which is why you didn’t get him. Can one of you Braves fans give the rundown on Hoover? I’ve never heard of him, and I don’t know how I feel about this trade. I liked Francisco honestly.
A good young pitcher. Projects as a 7th inning arm due to lack of good 3rd pitch. Was probably going to be a midseason call up for us
Those are good looking stats for Hoover. Is there a reason he went into the bullpen?
Atlanta’s pitching surplus?
Hoover is a fine pitcher, but he was behind Hudson, Hanson, Jurrjens, Beachy, Minor, Teheran, Delgado, and Medlen in terms of cracking the rotation. I guess Livan Hernandez too. And Vizcaino when he comes back from surgery next year.
Yeah, but pretty much everyone views Hoover as a reliever going forward. I’m sure at some point in the season he would have been a nice option to fill a pen void, but clearly the Braves aren’t worried about that.
Yep a young Aram for sure I think.
For sure I think? So are you sure or not?
I think this Trade is going to help both teams
After a little research, he’s a career .301 hitter against RHP. With Chipper starting on the DL, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him have a shot at 3rd when there’s a RHP starting and plugging Prado back into LF. The whole Diaz/Hinske platoon for LF just isn’t appealing.
One of the knocks on Francisco is his poor plate discipline. Just take a look at his spring numbers: 16 strikeouts 0 walks. But when he gets a hold of the ball, it goes a LONG way. He hit one into the Ohio River last year.
The year Francisco walks 30 times in a season someone will have to throw him a party. Not a bad (cheap) 3b option for the Braves in this time of limbo. His power truly is insane. He gets 600 PA’s he could one day hit 35+ homerun’s. He’s going to have strike out less then he has in the majors to get to that point, and that’s a big question mark for him right now. His offensive game is similar to Kevin Kouzmanoff. Not sure if he has it in him to be improve as much defensively as Kouz did as 25-26 year old. Those guys are okay spot-filler while they’re cheap.
Think both teams will be content with this trade.
Francisco vastly improved his defense in the last year or two, and has made a few jaw-dropping plays defensively. One day he amazes you in a good way, the next day he amazes you in a bad way.
This is a move that makes sense… But the Reds need a Lefty off the bench
Willie Harris
Francisco can also play left if you didn’t know.
He’s never played a game there in the bigs… are you saying that because he’s played there in the minors?
Correct. He’s not going to win any gold gloves in the Left, but he is more than serviceable.
I seem to remember him getting some time there the last two springs with not-so-hot results. I like this trade for both teams: upside arm for the Reds, upside 3B for the Braves. Both guys are young and have some time to figure things out. Not every trade has a clear winner/loser.
Both teams win. When it comes to their systems and rosters they each gave up next to nothing to upgrade the depth they were lacking in other areas.
Great trade. Hoover was probably never going to get a shot at the rotation and keeping his talent in the bullpen would be a waste. This just looks like a classic case of teams trading surplus for what their team actually needs. Braves don’t need the pitching but they need a third basemen so Prado can just stay where he is. Plus I just watched a video of him hitting a 502 foot bomb piece that cleared GABP and ended up in the ohio river. Awesome.
Agreed. His power and talent were never an issue. The kid has unreal power potential … hopefully the Braves can get figure out a way to coach him. He is a bit of a head case though in that he either can’t or refuses to learn how to be a more disciplined at the dish. While he has gotten a little better … he still falls back into those “swing at everything” habits. When he is stuck in that rut pitchers were just burying 3 sliders in the dirt and he’d just couldn’t lay off. His conditioning has been an issue also … something else they will have to coax him into being better at in the off season.
Francisco never hit a home run like that. I’m assuming it was actually Wily Mo Pena in the video because he owns the record for the longest homerun in GABP history.
Not a bad move by any means. This basically just says that Francisco wasn’t going to make the team coming out of ST, so the only options you had were to option him to Louisville, in which case he would have had to pass through waivers, or trade him. He wasn’t going to get through waivers, so it was either get something out of him now or get nothing in a few days when someone else picks him up. With the injuries the Reds are dealing with in the pen, it’s not a bad idea to have another guy who can come up midseason and eat a few innings.
Come out to Turner Field to watch Livian Hernandez and Juan Francisco. *sigh*
… on the bench, while the rotation has Tommy Hanson, JJ, and Beachy to begin the year with Huddy coming later. Not to mention a lineup filled with the likes of JHey, Freddie Freeman, Mac, Uggla, Prado, Bourn, and Chipper… *sigh*
Congrats, you found a reason to not go to a game. That’s why ATL is ranked 15th in MLB in attendance.
Smart move for Atlanta – give up a 7th inning arm that wasn’t going to make the OD roster and get a young 3B with solid upside power potential and a pretty good glove. He may end up being the second coming of Mark Reynolds but Atlanta needs more pop and this kid brings a lot of pop with him. Bat him 6th and see what he can do.
That’s the problem with keeping an old player like M. Cairo who i like instead of keeping young powerful player like francisco who can hit a 3 run bomb against a righty late in a game, plus this is Rolen last year and Votto next last.
For those who say that Francisco doesn’t Walk enough, just look who his Manager is.
Toothpick Baker is famous for saying that he wants his guys to be aggressive. That he wants them going to the plate and swinging instead of looking to get walked. He once was quoted as saying that they are called hitters and not walkers.
To back this up, look at WHO his lead off and number two hitters have been the past four seasons and WHAT their On Base Percentages were.
Toothpick had NO problem with Corey (two pitch At Bat) Patterson, Wily Taveras and Drew Stubbs leading off. He also has had NO problem with Alex Gonzalez, Orlando Cabrera, Edgard Renteria, Paul Janish and now this Spring Training, Cozart and Valdez batting second.
I didn’t look all of their stats up but I am pretty sure Stubbs’ On Base Percentage last year was the highest of any of those players and it was only .329.
So, for those who want to complain about Francisco’s free swinging ways and not learning some patience then the person you have to point the finger at is none other than Toothpick Baker. Baker didn’t mind those other players being “aggressive” and having low On Base Percentages and I am pretty sure Francisco felt he could get away with being a free swinger also and not get punished for it.
Do you enjoy complaing? I mean if thats what you like, then thats cool. But it seems like almost every post is a negative, long rant. Some optimism would be nice every once in awhile, considering it appears the Reds are your favourite team. I look at the realistic side more often than not, and I don’t agree with everything that they do, but overall the Reds and Bob Castillini are making an effort.
Marty Brennaman
hes Mark Reynolds 2. we don’t need, or want, him.
he strikes out like him, but mark reynolds walks 3 times more often
I was a Reds fan from the 1975 World Series until early in the 2009 season. I stopped because I became TIRED of the HYPE always coming from Ca$htellini’s mouth and the non-sense BS from Toothpick Baker.
Maybe francisco can hit on out of turner field..like he did last year at cincinatti
3rd base insurance after they move prado for better bat in OF later in the year
Francisco wouldn’t have made the club anyway. Hoover has pitched pretty good in the minors. Good trade for the Reds.
Encarnacion’s biggest problem was his defense. He’s a lot easier to hide in the AL.
Don’t necessarily know that ‘raking’ is the correct term, but he has shown improvement, its possible he was just a late bloomer. If he finally puts it all together and becomes Jose Bautista, Part II this year (which he could, he’s quite similar to a pre-2010 Bautista) then he could be qualified to rake, but that’s not likely.
He was injured at the wrong time the past few years. He should have played 80-90 games at 3rd last year when Rolen was hurt, but he was also hurt. It was more injuries at the wrong time and coming into spring overweight than mismanagement.
Agreed. Votto has failed to progress under Dusty. Cueto too.
He wasn’t mismanaged … kid just would not or could not learn any patience at the dish. They sent him down to AAA last season to focus solely on taking pitches and working the count. He did well for a couple of weeks and was raking. When he starts raking like that he falls back into that rut of swinging at everything. If he ever ends up being much more than Eddy Encarnacion in the field & at the plate … I’ll be really surprised.
so much inaccuracy in that post..
last year post all star break he was the jays second best hitter..
He’ll never be jose bautista because he’s a one dimensional player and he doesn’t have the on base savy of jose.
he’s useful non the less, but often injured
E5!
There are tons of reports saying he will be nothing more than a bench guy cause his defense is suspect. That being said this is not a huge deal anyways cause if he Francisco does not get his act together he wont be the successor at 3B either.
Quite possibly the best half season of his big league career. The 34bb/38k’s that he posted was a huge improvement over the 9/39 rate in the first half. If he replicates that we could see him entering his best years.
He’s the kind of guy that is more then good enough to hold the position while a long-term fixture is located. Depending on developments we could very well see him ink another two-year deal at around 12m total with the Jays. Or the Jays could go and trade for a potentially undervalued 3b like Chase Headley who wouldn’t come with the same obligation while likely an upgrade, possibly a 2-win upgrade.
do you realize that the Blue Jays have a third-baseman and his name is not Encarnacion?
See Lawrie, Brett
see potential, monster
EE is a DH-1B-LF-3B
I hope so, ATL usually is the team trading away players only to watch them exceed their potential not in a Braves uniform.