As expected no teams wanted anything to do with the $3 million or so remaining on Jeff Francoeur’s contract, so he passed through waivers unclaimed and has been released by the Royals.
That means Francoeur is now a free agent and able to sign with any team for whatever money and role he can get. My guess is that he’ll land another major-league contract, but it’ll be close to the minimum salary for a part-time gig.
For all his faults when pressed into everyday action--he’s been putrid while hitting .228 with a .642 OPS in 207 games since the beginning of last season--Francoeur remains a potentially useful platoon corner outfielder versus left-handed pitching. And of course everyone within baseball loves him, so landing with a contender shouldn’t shock anyone.