Jeff Francoeur, Ryan Church in Braves, Reds Swap

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The New York Mets have traded right fielder Ryan Church to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Jeff Francoeur.

Jeff Francoeur is hitting .250 with 5 homers and 35 RBIs in 82 games with Braves so far this season. Ryan Church is batting .280 with two home runs and 22 RBIs in 67 games with the Mets.

“This is a trade that’s not only for now, but for next year and beyond, because of the youth of the player and that what he does fits the ballpark,” general manager Omar Minaya said.

Francoeur, 25, is well known for his defense in the outfield. He scored a Gold Glove back in 2007 and has more assists than any other big league outfielder since he made his Major League debut in 2005.

“This ballpark plays better for Francoeur because, even though Ryan Church is a good defensive player, Francoeur covers a lot of ground,” Minaya said. “Base hits to right field — you just don’t run [on Francoeur].”

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