The Reds have released Jeff Francis at his request according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN (on Twitter). The veteran southpaw exercised a June 1st opt-out clause in his minor league contract.
Francis, 31, pitched to a 3.72 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 77 1/3 innings across 12 starts for Cincinnati's Triple-A affiliate. He threw a nine-inning complete game shutout just last night. Given his solid performance in the minors and the demand for pitching, Francis could wind up signing a Major League contract and join a team's rotation in short order.
