The Diamondbacks have agreed to terms with second-round pick Cody Reed, reports Josh Bean of the Alabama Media Group. Bean’s piece includes video of an interview with Reed on his decision to sign. MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo reports that he signed for the slot value of $1,034,500 (Twitter link).
Reed, a high school left-hander out of Alabama, ranked as the draft’s No. 52 prospect per Baseball America. Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis of MLB.com ranked Reed 61st overall, while ESPN’s Keith Law had him 92nd on his pre-draft rankings. Reed, who had committed to Vanderbilt, boosted his draft stock by upping his fastball velocity from 88-90 mph to 92-95 mph, according to MLB.com. BA notes that of his four-pitch mix, his slider and curveball both have the potential to be above-average pitches as well.
Law is among many evaluators to have voiced concern over the 6’3″, 260-pound Reed’s weight, though he notes that Reed has repeated his delivery well in spite of that size. As Mayo and Callis note, however, many scouts are intrigued by the possibility of his velocity increasing even further if he is able to get himself into better shape as a pro.
