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How will Cecil deal impact Reds’ relief quest?
- Updated: November 21, 2016
CINCINNATI — News broke over the weekend that the Cardinals had agreed to sign free-agent relief pitcher Brett Cecil to a four-year, $30.5 million contract. As the deal became official on Monday, it was easy to wonder how Cecil’s signing might affect the rest of the reliever market.
For a budget-conscious club like the Reds, this might not seem like a good omen. One of Cincinnati’s top priorities this offseason is to add quality relievers, while hoping the market for such help didn’t get too hot. Reds general manager Dick Williams said on Monday that his team was not pursuing Cecil, and he wasn’t sure if that move would have a ripple effect on his efforts.
“How it affects the market remains to be seen,” Williams said. “We’re not waiting until everybody signs and then make a move. We’re talking and engaging with agents about signing players. That size of a deal and contract is not something we’re looking for this year.”
Cecil, a 30-year-old left-handed pitcher, was 1-7 with a 3.93 ERA, 45 strikeouts and eight walks over 36 2/3 innings in his 54 appearances for the Blue Jays in 2016. In four seasons since switching out of Toronto’s rotation to its bullpen, he has a 2.90 ERA and 11.5 strikeouts-per-nine innings ratio. MLBTradeRumors.com had predicted he would get …
