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Saw some on my TL talking about Cody Reed, so naturally, I feel like I have to jump in. With no Poche/Beeks, Reed is the best LHR on the roster. McClanahan could creep into that conversation very easily if his role was more clearly defined. For now though, let's talk Reed.
Reed's out of options, so he's a good bet to wind up on the Opening Day roster assuming he's healthy and doesn't lay a complete egg in ST. Reed's a long-limbed dude, and he gets solid extension. The biggest knock on him, as it usually is with relievers, is his command/control.
As my guy @darby_robinson pointed out, Reed has an insane career HR/FB% (23.4%). He's a very easy candidate to regress to the norm. HR rates don't really stabilize until around 1300 BF (thank you FG), and Reed's faced roughly 580. As a reliever, it'll be tough to get to that.
Volatility sucks. Even Reed's xFIP (controls for HR/FB%) is around a run lower than his ERA/FIP. Stuff-wise, Reed is gross. His velo was up all around, and he picked up some spin on his SL. Also, Reed completely flipped the script on his pitch usage.
He used his SL at a 50% clip and bumped the sinker to 39%. Reed initially came up using a 4-seamer, then transitioned into splitting between the SI/FB. Honestly, the SI/SL combo is the most ideal, since he can play up the separation between the pitches. One darts west, one east.
Another interesting piece, left is 2019, right is 2020. Notice anything? Reed's releasing the ball closer to the plate on the right. He added some extension as well. Releasing the ball closer to the plate makes that 94 look a little faster to the hitter (perceived velocity).
Reed also held his own against LHH understandably, and the struggles against RHH really just came down to command. He had issues locating his slider, it leaked right over the plate. You really want to work that back foot, or backdoor the SL with RHH.
The SI/SL combo might not rack up the K's, but with the defense working behind him, Reed is a perfect fit. He has a few kinks to him that most relievers have, but that's just something you live with. I'm excited to see what 2021 holds for him.
