Cardinals Sign Reliever Dennys Reyes
We're getting deeper into spring training, and we're getting lighter on the number of left-handed relievers on the market. According to Buster Olney of ESPN and the Associated Press, the Cardinals reached an agreement with free agent lefty-specialist Dennys Reyes to a two-year, $3 million deal.
Because Reyes was a Type B free agent, the Twins will receive a supplemental draft pick for losing him.
At one point, Reyes was holding out for a deal identical to the one landed by new Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt, who landed a two-year, $8 million deal at the onset of free agency. Reyes didn't get that, but he did get a two-year deal, a factor which he cited as being a difference maker in his negotiations earlier this winter.
Reyes was one of the best left-handed specialists in the big leagues last year if you go by statistics. Pitching in a career-high 75 games for the Twins, Reyes held left-handed hitters to a .202 average and all batters to a total of .235 average. His ERA was 2.33.
Reyes deal leaves just Will Ohman and Joe Beimel as established left-handed arms out of the bullpen. It'll be interesting to see who makes a run at those two guys as spring training ticks away.
Thoughts? Good deal for the Cardinals, or is a second-year for Reyes too much of a guarantee in the current economy?
By
Cameron Smith
|
March 6, 2009; 9:47 AM ET
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Cardinals
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Posted by: jca-CrystalCity | March 6, 2009 2:44 PM | Report abuse
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He's better than Trever Miller or any of the other options the Cards have on their roster. Nice price. Wish the Nats had done it. The Nats should really pursue Ohmann now. He'll be more expensive, but this bullpen and with the experimental rotation is frightening.
It seems that, pretty regularly now, teams with good bullpens run right can beat their pythagorean records. That was the story behind the d-back in 2007 as well as the Nats, who I think finished three or 4 games better than their projected record. Being able to slide Rivera back to the 7th, which Ohmann would allow us to do, would be a huge upgrade for the Nats.