Kissimmee, Fla. — For those holding out hope that Jeff Francoeur and the Braves might reach a long-term deal like Brian McCann did last spring, the chances appear to be getting dimmer.

Neither side will say for sure, but Braves general manager Frank Wren said Saturday the only talks between the Braves and Francoeur's agent recently have been in an attempt to agree on a one-year contract.

AP (ENLARGE)

Jeff Francoeur (right) is congratulated by teammates after his three-run homer in the fourth inning against the Astros Saturday.

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"I think I've made it known to everybody I want to be a Brave," said Francoeur, who changed agents in the offseason to Lonnie Cooper's Career Sports & Entertainment. "I want to be here a long time. It's also got to be right on both sides."

The implication is that it isn't yet. And there's a decent chance, after what Wren said has been a week of discussions on a one-year contract between assistant GM Bruce Manno and Cooper, he will be unilaterally renewed by the Braves for the second consecutive year. That happens when players with zero to three years of service time don't reach an agreement.

The first day the Braves can renew players is today, and Wren said they often do it the first day.

The Braves announced Friday that 20 players had signed one-year deals. Francoeur was not among them. He appears to be prepared to play out his year-to-year deals and move into salary arbitration, as players normally do, rather than sign a long-term deal for less than he deems fair. "I'd love a [long-term] contract, but I don't have to have a contract," Francoeur said.

Players who are renewed might make $10,000 or so less than they would have had they reached a deal, but sometimes they do it to make a point in negotiations. Wren said another renewal wouldn't negatively affect any future dealings with Francoeur.

"I may not necessarily agree with the motives or the reasons for taking renewals by players historically, but it's part of the process," Wren said. "We deal with it when it happens, and you go on. You don't hold grudges. You don't get mad about it. It's just part of the process."

Game notes

Francoeur hit a three-run homer off right-hander Runelvys Hernandez in the fourth inning of the Braves' 7-5 win over the Astros for his first long ball of the spring. Former Astro Josh Anderson got the game-tying two-run hit to make the score 5-5 in the ninth, and Martin Prado drove in the winning runs on a two-out, two-strike, bases-loaded single.