The once Golden Boy of the Atlanta Braves franchise, Jeff Francoeur found out this year that major league baseball is hard. So many people had such high hopes for Frenchy, and yet when we really needed him last year, he did not show up. Was this massive downturn, in his fourth major league season, an anomoly or a sign of things to come?

There's no doubt that Frank Wren was unhappy with the performance Francoeur had on the field this year. He demoted him to the minors in the middle of July, but soon reversed his decision -- be it because of injuries (the stated reason) or pressure from within the organization (probably the real reaason).

There's been some talk, whether it's actual news or just fans talking, that the Braves may try and trade Francoeur and unburden themselves from his impending arbitration years and his hapless bat. But who would take a chance on a guy like that?

It occurred to me that the Royals might have some interest. After all, they did just acquire Mike Jacobs:

Just look at those quasi-similar numbers. Similar batting and on-base, similar strikeouts and walks. Yes, Jacobs has the edge on Francoeur in the power department, but some might be convinced that Frenchy's power will come back in time.

I'm not seriously advocating this, but in the world of rumors, if the Royals think Jacobs can help them, then they probably think Francoeur can too. Add to that the obvious connection to the Braves that Royals GM Dayton Moore has, and it's not too much of a leap.

It's probably not the best time to trade a guy like Francoeur, who is coming off a terrible season, if you want maximum return, but you never know how other teams may value talent or a player they've coveted for a long time. If Frank Wren wasn't shy about demoting Frenchy, then he may not be shy about trading him. There were some rumors and rumblings around the trade deadline that the Braves were shopping Francoeur, so I wouldn't be shocked if those started up again.