it is what it is

Jeff Francoeur may be running low on chances in baseball, but he’ll get at least one more. Cleveland has signed the former Mississippi Braves star to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training. The Indians’ outfield currently includes Michael Bourn, Michael Brantley, David Murphy and Ryan Raburn, which might be a tough group to crack. The right-handed hitting Francoeur, whose star burned out quickly in Atlanta, has played for the New York Mets, Texas, Kansas City and San Francisco over the past five seasons. He batted .204 overall in 2013 and was released twice (by the Royals and Giants). Francoeur, who turns 30 on Wednesday, is still a good outfielder and is a career .263 hitter with 140 home runs. True, he may face long odds of making the cut with the Indians. But, like Starkville native Julio Borbon — an outfielder who’ll go to camp with Baltimore as a Rule 5 draftee — and Pascagoula’s Joey Butler — a waiver claim who’ll get a look from St. Louis as a spare outfielder — Francoeur has a chance to make a big league roster. Sometimes that’s all you can ask. Sometimes that’s all you need.