Reds, Francis Agree To Minor League Deal

The Reds have agreed to sign free agent left-hander Jeff Francis to a minor league deal, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  The 31-year-old is represented by Frontline Sports Management. Last week it was reported that Francis was gaining interest from clubs, including the Reds, Mariners, Blue Jays, and Mets. The Cubs were also linked to the veteran before the New Year. Francis spent 2011 with the Royals, posting a 4.82 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 across 31 starts.  His 183 innings of work was his highest total since 2007, the season before he suffered a shoulder injury which required surgery and caused him to miss the entire 2009 campaign. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter) first reported that the two sides were nearing an agreement.