Mets Make A Rare Trade with Rival Braves

The New York Mets have made a trade!

No they didn't get Matt Holiday, nor did they get Roy Halladay.

The Mets got Jeff Francoeur formally of the Atlanta Braves.

The Mets sent Ryan Church in a one-for-one swap with their division rival for an outfielder who is hitting only .250 with five homers and 35 RBI. Francoeur is only 25 but had developed the reputation as an all or nothing type of player.

Francoeur struck out 129 times while batting .293 with 19 homers and 105 RBI in 2007, and struck out 111 times while batting .239 last season. He has yet to really become the great power hitter that the Braves thought he could be.

As for Church, the Mets have had something against Church since he arrived in Queens last season. Last summer the Mets botched the handle on Church's concussions, forcing the outfielder to make several cross country flights with the team when he clearly never felt well.

This year, Mets manager Jerry Manuel proclaimed that Church would have to earn a starting spot in the outfield if he wanted to play every day. Church got off to a good start this year, batting .356 through April 27. Then a series of inexplicable benchings later, Church lost his mojo for the season.

According to SNY's Kevin Burkhardt, Francoeur and his wife are "really excited" about their new opportunity to come to New York.