With nine days until pitchers report to camp, Colorado Rockies Pitcher Jeff Francis, who has been bothered by soreness in his left shoulder, decided he will have surgery sometime after Feb. 19 if the pain fails to subside. Francis will report to camp in order to get looks at live hitters, but being as he hasn't thrown off a mound all winter, things aren't looking up for the Rockies 2007 ace. A recent MRI showed no structural damage to the 28-year-old left-hander's throwing arm so the surgery would be of an exploratory nature in order to determine what the problem is and how to fix it. This surgery could put Francis out of the rotation for most of the year. In 2008 it was very apparent that there was an issue with Francis' throwing arm; he went 4-10 with a 5.01 ERA following a great 2007 run in which he posted 17 wins. The Rockies have spent a good deal of time and money on the pitching staff this offseason. The club has built a good core of pitchers of which Francis is included, so this changes it up a bit as far as the top five in the rotation. The additions of Jason Marquis, Josh Fogg, Glendon Rusch, and Matt Belisle plus the stable of Greg Smith, Jorge De La Rosa, Jason Hirsh, Greg Reynolds, and Franklin Morales there will be no shortage of competition for both the number four and five spots. This will be a very exciting camp for both the Rockies and their fans; there has not been this level of competition for a Rockies pitching staff since the club's inception in 1993.