Colorado Rockies reportedly sign Wade Davis to three-year deal

The Colorado Rockies have reportedly taken another big step toward solidifying the back end of their bullpen on Friday morning.

According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the Rockies inked Wade Davis to a deal that is sure to send shockwaves through the National League. According to Passan, the deal is worth $52 million over three years. That is the highest per-year salary ever paid to a reliever. Passan also said there is a fourth-year vesting option that could take the total spend to $66 million.

Joel Sherman of MLB Network says Davis’ annual salary breakdown goes like this: 2018: $16 million. 2019: $18 million. 2020: $17 million. 2021 vesting option: $15 million or $1 million buyout.

Davis went 4-2 last season with a 2.30 ERA in 59 games for the Chicago Cubs, totaling 32 saves. In his nine-year career spanning time with the Cubs, Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays, the 32-year-old right-hander is 59-39 with a 3.45 ERA and 79 saves. Of those 79 saves, 76 have come in the last three seasons with the Royals and Cubs.

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This would mark another major bullpen signing for the Rockies this offseason as the team agreed to terms with former Cleveland Indians reliever Bryan Shaw during the Winter Meetings. Colorado also re-signed reliever Jake McGee during that time period.

The signing, of course, brings into question if the Rockies will now attempt to re-sign last year’s closer, Greg Holland. As has been previously reported, Holland and Colorado were seemingly close to signing a deal. However, the signing of Davis may change that.

Holland and Davis were teammates on the 2015 Royals team that won the World Series. Holland, however, underwent Tommy John surgery near the end of the regular season after compiling 32 saves. Davis stepped into the role and finished the season with 17 saves, including one in the World Series win over the New York Mets.

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For now, Colorado appears to have a bullpen that features the three-time All-Star Davis at the back end, with Mike Dunn, Adam Ottavino, McGee and Shaw as formidable late-inning setup men.