Roster Move: Cubs ink lefty pitcher Cole Reynolds |
The other day, we discussed the Cubs' willingness to add talent in various ways. One of those ways happens to come through the Driveline Academy or the new Thread Athletics Pro Day, where one of the newest Cubs coaches, Tyler Zombro, came from. Given that Zombro has many connections to Thread, it shouldn't be surprising to see the Cubs sign Jordan Goldmann, who put on quite a show during the pro day workout.
After breaking down Goldmann's performance and overall fit with the Cubs, there were discussions that the Cubs may not be done adding pieces from the Thread Pro-Day. That is precisely the case, as Chicago came to terms with their second pitcher from Thread and signed big lefty Cole Reynolds to a minor league deal. The 22-year-old Reynolds put on quite a show and comes with a projectable 6-5 and 225-pound frame, making him an intimidating figure on the mound. A two-way player for the early portion of his career with the Elon Phoenix, Reynolds ditched the hitting to focus on pitching full-time and transferred to UNC Charlotte to finish his career. A .277 career hitter before making the switch, Reynolds showed flashes of being a decent hitter at the next level as he clubbed 17 homers and drove in 81. He also brought with him a great eye as he nearly had as many walks, 81 to strikeouts, 118. The pitching needs to be discussed, as Reynolds is another of the many reclamation projects in the Cubs system. Say what you will about that strategy, but the Cubs have been using it for the longest time, and it has paid off several times. In this case, the Cubs are hoping it pays off big, as his pitching numbers weren't great in college, leading some to believe he should've focused on hitting rather than pitching. For his career, Reynolds saw action in 35 games, 27 coming as starts, and posted a 5-11 overall record. Not only was the record less than appealing but so was his 6.18 ERA, as he never could find his groove at the collegiate level. Struggles or not, Reynolds did have moments where he flashed plus command, but with 53 walks to 120 strikeouts, much remains to be desired. Given how poorly he performed on the mound, some might wonder what he could've shown the Cubs at this pro day to warrant a Minor League contract. Well, for starters, he was one of the few pitchers who displayed four pitches and commanded all four of those pitches equally well. Whether that translates into a competitive environment remains to be seen, but you could see his potential based on his pitch repertoire. You can credit Thread for that, as Reynolds went undrafted following his senior season and didn't even sign an undrafted free-agent contract. Instead, he went to Thread, hit the ground running, and spent most of the past year working on his pitches to be given this opportunity. This mission was accomplished, as Reynolds looked vastly improved from his college performance and was one of the more impressive pitchers during the workout. Like his counterpart Goldmann, look for Reynolds to head to Minor League camp this spring, where he will most likely join the ACL Cubs with several other college-aged players. From there, it will be up to him to advance through the system, as he will need to prove he was worth this opportunity. No one will question his work ethic, as is evident by what he showed at the Pro Day. However, a Pro Day is a controlled environment, while a big league camp and even the ACL season are competitive environments that aim to get you to the next level. Chicago was also in the mix to land former Chicago Dogs righty and Chicago Native Kenny Serwa, who ultimately signed with the Detroit Tigers. Known for having the world's fastest knuckleball at 88 MPH, Serwa is an intriguing prospect who could move quickly through the Tigers system, which the Cubs hope Reynolds and Goldmann can do.
