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Baltimore Orioles sign third baseman Juan Francisco

By Alex Butler
Former Cincinnati Reds IF Juan Francisco claps at first base after hitting a RBI single driving in the winning run in the tenth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on September 4, 2011. Cincinnati won the game 3-2. UPI/Bill Greenblatt
1 of 3 | Former Cincinnati Reds IF Juan Francisco claps at first base after hitting a RBI single driving in the winning run in the tenth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on September 4, 2011. Cincinnati won the game 3-2. UPI/Bill Greenblatt | License Photo

Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Despite not playing baseball professionally in 2016, Juan Francisco has earned an invitation to Baltimore Orioles' spring training.

The 29-year-old infielder agreed to a minor league contract with the team Tuesday, according to reports.

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Francisco hit .284 with five home runs in the first three years of his career for the Cincinnati Reds. He was traded to the Atlanta Braves in 2012 and was traded again in 2013 to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Francisco was released in 2014, before signing on with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Boston Red Sox picked him up off of waivers in 2014. Francisco signed as a free agent in 2015 with the Tampa Bay Rays. He was released before the 2015 season. Francisco hit .220 with 16 home runs in 106 games in 2014, his last appearance in Major League Baseball.

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He appeared in five contests for the Yomiuri Giants in 2015 in the Japan Central League. He also played in four games for the Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League. The left-handed hitter was previously a switch hitter, before opting against it in 2009.

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