The long and winding road that has been Jeff Francoeur's career will come to yet another exit ramp, as the 30-year-old slugger has been released by the Indians, according to reports out of spring training on Saturday afternoon. The Indians would have been Francouer's sixth team in a 10-year career, but with the team's crowded outfield, the well-liked right fielder and his prodigious arm will have to find another place from which to throw out unsuspecting runners.
MLB roundup: Indians release Jeff Francoeur
The journeyman outfielder will have to find another Tribe to join for his sixth professional team after being released Saturday afternoon.
Francoeur's career stats have never lived up to the potential of his rookie season and its accompanying magazine cover proclaiming him The Natural. However, he's seen by many as a quality contributor in the clubhouse and a "class act" by reporters. which may help him find another place to hang his hat. Or glove, or whatever it is that guys with laser rocket arms hang in places they are briefly staying.
Torrealba wants out of Anaheim
It appears current Los Angeles Angels backup catcher Yorvit Torrealba will seek his release from the team if he is asked to play in the minors. According to tweets from MLB's Alden Gonzalez, the catcher will "wait for [an] MLB opportunity", perhaps similar to his backup catching job as a member of the Rockies last season.
Now 35 years old, Torrealba originally signed with the San Francisco Giants as a 16-year-old catcher out of Venezuela. From there, he spent seven years working his way up to spot duty as the backup catcher to San Fran stalwart Benito Santiago. The team subsequently replaced Santiago with A.J. Pierzynski instead of Torrealba, leading him on the sojourn that would define the next phase of his career.
If the backstop ends up leaving the team slightly more than a month after signing, whoever picks him up will be his eighth team in the 14th year of a career that unfortunately appears to be in its twilight.
Milwaukee exercises option on manager Ron Roenicke
The news isn’t all bad (or nomadic) this Saturday, though, as the Brewers have announced that the team has picked up the 2015 option for manager Ron Roenicke and added an option for 2016, according to Mike Axisa of CBS Sports.
Adding security for the skipper past this year may come a surprise to some, considering that Milwaukee finished 14 games under .500 last season. However, it appears the team is choosing to focus on the first two years of Roenicke’s tenure, which included an appearance in the NLCS in 2011 and a solid third-place NL Central finish in 2012.
"In picking up the option for 2015, it shows our confidence in having Ron lead this team on the field," the team said in a statement. "Last season was a difficult one, and Ron provided critical leadership with confidence and assurance that the Brewers can get back to the postseason."
Whether the team can bounce back from their tumultuous 2013 campaign, which was underscored by Ryan Braun’s self-perpetuating steroid saga, is difficult to predict. But it appears that the team feels that if anyone is capable of leading it back into contention, it’s Roenicke.
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