TAMPA — Next offseason’s starting pitching free-agent market took yet another hit — with perhaps more on the way — Wednesday when the Reds signed Homer Bailey to a six-year, $105 million contract, The Post has confirmed.
The deal includes a seventh-year option, and means Bailey joins the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, arguably the best pitcher in the sport, as recently signed starters who otherwise would have been free agents after the 2014 campaign.
Cleveland’s Justin Masterson, Boston’s Jon Lester and Detroit’s Max Scherzer all still face their walk years, but each team has indicated a desire to try to get its star inked to a multi-year deal. Lester, who publicly has said he would take a hometown discount to stay, remains the most likely to do a long-term deal. Scherzer, a Scott Boras client, is probably the longest shot. There have been no indications the Royals are attempting to sign James Shields, the other top-of-the-rotation starter ticketed for free agency after this season.
Bailey has an A.J. Burnett-quality to his work – his stuff is elite and there are days he dominates, as shown by his two career no-hitters. But his overall body of work suffers from lack of consistency. However, he does not turn 28 until May and his past two seasons have been his most durable and dependable. The Reds are gambling that, in his prime, Bailey will honor his stuff more regularly and perhaps even rise to be their ace.
The $17.5 million average ties him with San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum for the 17th-largest average ever given a pitcher on a multi-year deal. It also signifies the most significant move this offseason for the Reds.
The Reds lost in the one-game NL wild-card round last year, then let go manager Dusty Baker (replaced by Bryan Price) and saw on-base-machine leadoff man Shin-Soo Choo and dependable starter Bronson Arroyo leave to free agency while being unable to trade – as they had hoped – high-priced second baseman Brandon Phillips.
The Reds made three small signings in free agency: Skip Schumaker, Manny Parra and Brayan Pena.