It seems like every time I start off my articles I talk about the fact that Spring Training in rapidly approaching, which it is. I also talk about the how the hot stove was hot for the Colorado Rockies for the month of December, but went ice cold after. Here I am again to talk about a potential signing so I’ll just cut to the chase with this one: The Colorado Rockies need to sign Mark Reynolds
This would be one of the obvious signings that should happen. I’m not sure if it’s Reynolds that holding out or if it’s the Colorado Rockies overthinking what they really need to do. Signing Reynolds would be a smart and final move to end the offseason as we look ahead to seeing them in Arizona.
You may be thinking “why in the world do they “need” to sign him?”. Well, you could call it a “safe” type of signing, but don’t let that sway your opinion about Mark Reynolds.
He is a clutch guy that had a great season with the Rox. Reynolds, 33, put up a nice 30 homers with a .267/.352/.487 slashline and a whopping 97 RBI. Those stats got him ranked as number 3 for last season’s RBI total of Rockies players, according to Baseball Reference.
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If those aren’t good enough for you look at his stats as a 1st baseman. Last season he had 138 games at 1st along with that he only had 6 errors and turned 131 of double plays. Don’t forget about the amazing plays he makes to save the balls out of the dirt to get outs.
Now an important thing to consider is that Mark Reynolds is 33. He’d be one of the oldest guys on the team. You make think it’s a bad thing, but is it really? No, with age comes experience and he has plenty of it. He’s played in 6 different postseason series, which is a great thing for the guys on the team that don’t have that much experience in that department.
Another thing with age is it might not cost too much to sign him again. His 2017 contract was 1 yr/$1.5 million. It was reasonable so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was in-between the $1.3-$1.5 range. Even if his salary does increase, it won’t be an exorbitant amount, like free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer wants.
Let me also mention how much this signing makes sense. If the Rockies sign Reynolds they have a 1st baseman, obviously. This will clear up who will play left and right field, Ian Desmond in left and Gerardo Parra in right. It just makes perfect sense Mark Reynolds just brings back the balance that Rockies need in order to make their way up the top of the mountain.
Final Thoughts
Love him or hate Mark Reynolds is a clutch guy that the Rockies will regret not signing. I keep reiterating the fact that the Rox need to find their missing puzzle pieces in order to become a team that can win the World Series.
Next: The Rockies reportedly have two other targets to help the offense
Reynolds could be the piece that brings the big picture together. If the Rockies truly want to contend this year, they need to get a proven first baseman. And Mark Reynolds will do that better than just about anybody else out there, for a lot less.