Kansas City, Mo. ? Jeff Francoeur was a Sports Illustrated cover boy on the Aug. 29, 2005 issue, billed as “The Natural” while a rookie with the Atlanta Braves.

Francoeur lived up to that billing the next two seasons, not missing a game, while hitting 29 home runs with 103 RBIs in 2006. In 2007, Francoeur hit .293 with 19 home runs, 40 doubles, 105 RBIs and scored 84 runs. He also won a Gold Glove that season, leading the majors with 19 outfield assists.

Since then, Francoeur’s career has been on a spiral. He passed a physical Monday and officially became a Kansas City Royals, his fourth team in less than two years. He agreed to a one-year contract for $2.5 million last week pending passing a physical with an option for 2012.

In other baseball news:

• A person familiar with the negotiations tells the Associated Press that Cliff Lee has reached a preliminary agreement on a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. The deal is subject to the 32-year-old left-hander passing a physical, the person said late Monday night on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not final. The New York Yankees and Texas Rangers received telephone calls Monday night telling them they were out of the running, two separate people familiar with those team’s negotiations said, also on condition of anonymity.

• The average salary in Major League Baseball finished over $3 million for the first time. The 912 players in the big leagues before rosters expanded in September averaged $3,014,572.

• Matt Treanor got an $850,000, one-year contract from the Rangers.

• Right-hander Dustin Moseley and the San Diego Padres have finalized a $900,000, one-year contract.

• Free agent slugger Hideki Matsui and the Athletics worked to finalize a contract that would make him the team’s new designated hitter.

• Right-hander Koji Uehara has finalized a $3 million, one-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles.