For the first time in his Major League Baseball (MLB) career, Jeff Francis will not pitch for the Colorado Rockies.

The six-foot-five free agent left-hander from North Delta signed a one-year contract last Friday with the Kansas City Royals, ending a seven-year career in Denver.

The 30-year-old was 55-50 (won-loss) in 150 career starts with the Rockies since making his MLB debut in August, 2004. His best season was in 2007, when he led Colorado to a World Series appearance, where they lost in four games. Francis pitched in three playoff games, winning two.

Although his a base salary of $2 million for the 2011 season is a decrease from the $5.75 million he earned last season with the Rockies, bonuses could double his salary.

After missing the entire 2009 season following surgery on his left shoulder, he returned to Colorado last season and was 4-6 with a 5.00 earned run average, and says he is once again healthy.

鈥淚鈥檝e been feeling really good,鈥� Francis said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been able to do everything I wanted to up to this point in the offseason, so I鈥檓 where I鈥檇 want to be in any other year.鈥�

A graduate of the North Delta Blue Jays 18-and-under program in the B.C. Premier Baseball League, Francis was chosen ninth overall in the 2002 MLB First Year Player Draft by Colorado.