The Cincinnati Reds sign Jeff Francis
The Reds have signed 31-year old lefty starter Jeff Francis to a minor league deal. Francis pitched in 31 games (all starts) for the Royals last year and he was 6-16 with a 4.82 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. He has now pitched in 181 games (180 starts) in his first seven years in the majors and he is 61-66 with a 4.78 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. The Reds will give Francis a shot this spring to win a job at the back end of the starting rotation. This was a nice low risk/decent reward signing for the Reds.
