In an effort to upgrade maybe the league's worst starting rotation, the Kansas City Royals have gone out and signed free agent Jeff Francis to a one-year contract.
Jeff Francis Signs One-Year Contract With Royals
According to Jerry Crasnick, the deal is worth a base salary of $2 million, and comes with an additional $2 million in incentives based on starts and innings pitched. Francis may become the nominal ace of a rotation that features Luke Hochevar, Kyle Davies, Vin Mazzaro, and Sean O'Sullivan.
The 30-year-old Francis missed the entire 2009 season following shoulder surgery, and twice went on the DL in 2010 with shoulder problems as well. When he did play, he posted a 5.00 ERA over 104.1 innings. However, while his runs allowed were up, he also posted the lowest walk rate of his career while still managing to miss some bats, and his repertoire remains intact from where it was prior to the surgery. He’s unlikely to pitch like a #1, but as long as he remains on the mound, he should be effective for a Royals team that needs all the quality innings it can get.
Francis had been pursued by a number of teams, including the Mets and Mariners. Be sure to read more over at Royals Review.
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