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Rockies sign Mark Reynolds to 1-year, $2.6 million deal

The 32-year-old first baseman hit 13 home runs with St. Louis in 2015.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Rockies have agreed to a 1-year, $2.6 million deal first baseman Mark Reynolds, as first reported by CBS Sports' Jon Heyman:

Reynolds spent 2015 with the Cardinals, hitting .230/.315/.398 with 13 home runs in 382 at bats. The 13 home runs represented a career low in a season for Reynolds, who failed to hit 20 home runs for the first time since his rookie year in 2007.

The home run numbers for Reynolds should be helped by playing in Coors Field in 2016, where he has hit .287/.405/.549 in his career with eight homers in 122 at bats.

Reynolds will likely be in a platoon with lefty Ben Paulsen at first base for the Rockies. Paulsen saw his first significant big league action in 2015 at age 27, hitting .277/.326/.462 with 11 home runs in 325 at bats playing both first base and in left field for Colorado. The Rockies have platooned Paulsen for the most part in his time with the team, as just 51 of his 420 career plate appearances have come against left-handed pitchers.

The addition of Reynolds could also be the precursor to a trade for the Rockies as both Paulsen and Kyle Parker, who was in line to platoon at first base, can both play the outfield and there has been significant discussion of Colorado trading one or more outfielders, among them Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson, this offseason.

Whether the addition of Reynolds is an isolated move or a precursor to something bigger, the Rockies look to have found a hitter that can take advantage of Coors Field.