Known to hitters throughout the National League as "The Terminator," Jeff Reardon brought a menacing glare, a high-velocity fastball, and a signature thick beard to the back end of the Montreal bullpen. Acquired from the New York Mets in a trade-deadline swap for outfielder Ellis Valentine in May 1981, Reardon immediately took ownership of the late innings in Quebec. In an era when the multi-inning firemen were starting to evolve into specialized closers, he became one of the most reliable door-slammers of the 1980s.
His debut in the Expos was a crucial factor in their only postseason appearance in 1981. Moving into the closer role, Reardon steadied a faltering bullpen in the latter part of the season, posting a minuscule 1.30 ERA and earning six saves in the second half, aiding Montreal in clinching the NL East title.
He quickly proved himself as a high-volume reliever, pitching over 90 innings annually from 1982 to 1984. However, his standout season was 1985, which was his personal highlight. Reardon dominated National League hitters, leading all of Major League Baseball with a career-high 41 saves. He was the first in franchise history to reach 40 saves, earned his first All-Star selection, and received the National League Rolaids Relief Man Award.
Rather than regressing after that heavy workload, he backed it up with another excellent campaign in 1986. Reardon earned a second consecutive All-Star nod, locking down another 35 saves to keep the Expos competitive in a brutal division. Yet, with his market value at an all-time high and Montreal looking to restructure their roster, the front office traded their star closer to the Minnesota Twins in February 1987.
In Montreal, Reardon played 341 relief games with a 35–29 record, a 2.84 ERA, and a 1.15 WHIP. Over 523.1 innings, he had 152 saves and 389 strikeouts, with an outstanding 134 ERA+.
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