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The man in that picture up there is Patrick Corbin. He’s one of the luckiest baseballers in recent memory, too, given that he’s a) finally reached free agency, b) just had the best, healthiest season of his career, and c) is on the cusp of never having to wear those awful, awful Arizona Diamondbacks uniforms ever again.
The lefty - who is fresh off a 6.3 fWAR, 4.8 bWAR campaign - rejected the $17.9 million qualifying offer Arizona sent his way, and is now on the market for any team to chase. One such team appears to really, actually be the Cincinnati Reds, too, as MLB Network’s Jon Morosi passed along earlier today.
#Reds showing interest in multiple starting pitchers early in free agency, sources say. Patrick Corbin and J.A. Happ are among the starters they like. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 5, 2018
Morosi’s not alone in the spelling of his name or in the discovery that the Reds have money and are talking to pitchers about it. Fancred’s Jon Heyman is hearing similar rumblings, too.
After a couple years mostly sitting out free agency, reds finally have some $ to spend. Starting pitching is the priority. Will consider top of market (Corbin, Keuchel). They liked Harvey, too. Tough to get pitchers to Great America. Also will consider adding an outfielder.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 5, 2018
Whether it’s JA Happ and Matt Harvey or Patrick Corbin or Dallas Keuchel, this certainly jives with the two most prominent statements we’ve heard from the Reds brass early this offseason.
RECORD PAYROLL
WE’RE GOING TO GET THE PITCHING
RECORD PAYROLL
WE’RE GOING TO GET THE PITCHING
Turns out, they might actually be willing to splash big time cash in free agency for the first time since...well, I guess that depends on how you define ‘splash.’ Skip Schumaker, Miguel Cairo, and Jack Hanannannanannanahannnanahan each got small-dollar 2-year deals, and Ryan Ludwick got a slightly bigger before deciding to tell Reds fans they didn’t know how to baseball fan well enough. Aside from those, though, you have to go back over a decade to Francsico Cordero’s 4 year, $45 million deal to see any real action from the Reds in free agency.
Considering Corbin and Keuchel both have a very real chance of doubling that dollar amount with their next contracts, it’s certainly a big deal to see the Reds actively interested.
There are pros and cons with each of these names, and we’ll break that down as free agency winds on. For now, though, the newsiest part of this isn’t which big dollar free agent the Reds might sign, it’s that they’re in the mosh pit with everyone again for the first time in over a decade.
This offseason might have some fireworks after all!