Could the allure of returning home entice Mark Melancon to sign with the Colorado Rockies?

According to John Perrotto of FanRag Sports, the 31-year-old closer and the Rockies are said to have “mutual interest” in a deal. Melancon is a native of nearby Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and was a three-star standout at Golden High School.

Melancon had a combined 47 saves with the Pirates and Nationals last season and led the majors with 51 saves for Pittsburgh in 2015.

Given his Colorado roots, Melancon should be keenly aware of the difficulties of pitching in the thin air of Coors Field. But he also will be competing for a job against a deep free-agent closer class that includes Aroldis Chapman and Kenley Jansen.

As Perrotto points out, owner Dick Monfort said this week that the Rockies will have their biggest payroll in franchise history in 2017, surpassing this year’s $114 million. The Rockies traditionally have to overpay for free-agent pitching help, so this could be a venue where Melancon finds his most lucrative payday.

As for another possible suitor, Jon Morosi of MLB Network tweeted Thursday that the San Francisco Giants already have met with representatives for Melancon, Jansen and Chapman.

ESPN's Keith Law ranks Melancon 23rd among available free agents , but cautions against giving him more than one year, citing injury concerns.

- Doug Mittler