D-backs RHP Addison Reed: ‘I’m not a guy who’s going to be timid out there’

The struggles of the Arizona Diamondbacks bullpen last season were so glaring as the team headed for the offseason that, despite an indication otherwise, general manager Kevin Towers has made it a priority.

Last week, Towers traded Matt Davidson — the No. 4 third base prospect in baseball — for young, up-and-coming closer Addison Reed.

Formerly of the Chicago White Sox, Reed is relatively unknown to Diamondbacks fans, having never faced the team while pitching in a different league and division.

A guest on Arizona Sports 620’s Hot Stove Show, Reed, then, let fans know his general approach and style.

“I’m going to attack the hitter,” Reed began. “I’m not a guy who’s going to be timid out there.”

In effect, Reed lets on a little about his repertoire.

“I like to use my fastball a lot,” he told.

For every three pitches has thrown throughout the course of his career, two of them have been fastballs. But he’s working to diversify his pitch selection a little more as of late.

“Last year, I started to mix in my slider a little bit more and all last season,” Reed said. “And this offseason, the main focus has been slider and changeup.”

To date, Reed’s non-fastball pitches have accounted for 32 percent of his career pitches, having thrown his slider 24 percent of the time and his changeup eight percent of the time.

Last season, the 25-year-old averaged a fastball velocity of 92.8 miles per hour — down from 94.6 in 2012 and 94.9 in 2011, the year of his big league debut. His slider also dropped in velocity from 84.2 miles per hour to 83.7. His changeup, meanwhile, was more effective than his slider among his secondary pitches.

“I’m trying to perfect the changeup to where I can throw it in any count, any situation,” Reed went on. “Last year, I got to the point with my slider to where I could throw it 0-0 or 3-2 — no matter what the situation.”

“Hopefully this year I’ll have three pitches that I can throw at anytime in the count.”