The Rockies are in talks with right-handed relief pitcher Addison Reed, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. If the Rockies were to come to terms with Reed, he’d be the third reliever added this offseason. The Rockies have already committed three year contracts to righty Bryan Shaw and lefty Jake McGee.
Signing Reed would probably require another three-year deal. Earlier this month, it appeared that Reed had come to terms with the Phillies on a three-year contract, but they ended up inking Tommy Hunter to a two-year deal instead.
If the Rockies are seeking a “proven closer” to fill the ninth inning role, Reed certainly fits the bill. He’s served the closer role for the White Sox, Diamondbacks, and the Mets. The Mets traded Reed to the Red Sox in mid-2017, and he served as a late-inning reliever, but not the closer, there. The Rockies’ engagement with Reed could also signal that talks with Greg Holland have stalled.
Reed’s a fastball/slider reliever who relies on getting strikeouts more than anything else. His best two seasons were 2015 and 2016 (he posted a 1.97 ERA for the Mets in 2016), but those were also the seasons he had unusually low HR/FB ratios. He’d be a good addition to the bullpen. Even if he doesn’t work out in the closer role for some reason, the Rockies have added enough back up options to mitigate the harm.
What do you think?