Cincinnati Reds: Ranking the value of contracts signed to avoid arbitration

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CINCINNATI, OH – MAY 27: Matt Bowman #67 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park on May 27, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Pittsburgh defeated Cincinnati 8-5. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

4. Matt Bowman, Relief pitcher

2020 salary: $865K

Matt Bowman joined the Cincinnati Reds last November after he was claimed off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals. Bowman began the 2019 season with Triple-A Louisville, but made his way to Cincinnati in May. The right-handed reliever signed a one-year/$865K deal on Friday and will likely find a home in the Reds bullpen next season.

Cincinnati’s bullpen has some cracks, but keeping Bowman in the fold helps add some stability. The Maryland native saw action in 27 games, pitching 32.0 innings, striking out 25 batters and putting up a 3.66 ERA and 1.250 WHIP. Bowman was not lights out by any means, but he proved to be a reliable piece of the relief corps.

The backend of the Reds bullpen appears to be set. Raisel Iglesias, after a less than stellar 2019 campaign, will be looking to return to form. Michael Lorenzen showed his versatility at the plate, in field, and on the mound, striking out a career-high 85 batters. Amir Garrett will be the best left-handed option in late-game situations, and Robert Stephenson stepped his game up last season.

Add Bowman and his 0.56 HR/9 to the bullpen, and David Bell has a pitcher capable of going multiple innings and keeping the ball in the park. According to FanGraphs, Bowman had a 55.1% ground ball rate in 2019, his best since 2016 with St. Louis. Bowman has a nice repertoire of breaking pitches that play well in Great American Ball Park.

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