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The Colorado Rockies are pursuing free agent left-hander Jeff Francis, reports Thomas Harding of MLB.com.
Harding spoke to Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd Monday morning, who said the Rockies were "interested" in their 2002 first round draft pick, but "had no idea of the outcome of that interest".
The 31-year-old lefty, who was released by the Reds this morning, spent his first six big league seasons with Colorado and helped lead them to the World Series in 2007, when he accrued a 4.22 ERA in career-high 215 1/3 innings.
Francis has spent all of the 2012 season thus far at the Reds Triple-A affiliate, putting up a 3.72 ERA, 7.6 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 in 77 1/3 innings across 12 starts.
In his seven-year big league career (missing all of 2009 with a shoulder injury), Francis has a 4.78 ERA, 5.9 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9, good for an ERA+ of 98 with Coors Field is taken into account.