The Cincinnati Reds have outrighted left-hander Jeff Francis after Francis opted out of his contract Monday morning. This comes a day after Francis tossed a complete game shutout against the Durham Bulls.
In 12 starts with the Bats, Francis is 3-6 with a 3.72 ERA. Francis leaves the team tied for the lead in quality starts with six. He leads the International League with 77-1/3 innings pitched and is tied for third in the league with 65 strikeouts.
“He pitched really well and was a great teammate,” Bats manager David Bell said after their 2-1 loss to the Durham Bulls Monday. “I definitely think he can help a team in the major leagues.”
Francis spent the majority of his career with the Colorado Rockies. According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Rockies are interested in signing Francis. Francis spent five full seasons in the majors and parts on two others. He pitched for the Kansas City Royals in 2011. Overall, Franics is 61-66 with a 4.78 ERA in 181 major league appearances (180 starts).
