The standing of Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds is among the prime storylines of the offseason’s second half. Commerce rumors surrounding the previous All-Star are nothing new and so they returned final month as soon as Reynolds requested the membership to deal him.
That commerce request got here after talks a few long-term extension between his camp and the Pirates fizzled out. The exact numbers underneath dialogue on the time aren’t clear, though Jon Heyman of the New York Publish reported the membership put forth a suggestion that will’ve topped the franchise-record $70MM assure that Ke’Bryan Hayes had secured final spring. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Publish-Gazette shed additional gentle on the talks as a part of a reader mailbag this week, reporting that Pittsburgh’s supply was roughly $50MM shy of what Reynolds and his representatives at CAA had sought.
That’d set a ground of roughly $120MM for Reynolds’ asking value, though it’s potential his camp was aiming greater than that. It’s not identified how far above $70MM the Bucs supplied. Mackey writes that Pittsburgh’s proposal concerned fewer seasons than the eight years Hayes obtained, though Reynolds would clearly have pulled in additional on an annual foundation. That’s unsurprising contemplating Reynolds now has two extra years of main league service than Hayes had on the time of his deal.
Reynolds, who turns 28 later this month, has between three and 4 years of huge league service. He’s underneath contract for $6.75MM subsequent season in what would’ve been his second yr of arbitration. Within the absence of a long-term deal, he’ll undergo the arbitration course of twice extra earlier than hitting free company over the 2025-26 offseason.
Six gamers in that service bucket have signed extensions topping $70MM, with Sean Murphy becoming a member of that membership final week. Simply two gamers within the 3-4 yr service class have reached $120MM, with Freddie Freeman holding the file on his $135MM take care of the Braves from the 2013-14 offseason. Freeman was almost 4 years youthful on the time of his deal than Reynolds is now and coming off a .319/.396/.501 displaying in 2013 that rivals Reynolds’ career-best season from 2021.
Given the age discrepancy, one might actually argue Freeman was a greater long-term guess than Reynolds can be, though it’d additionally wouldn’t be stunning if the latter’s camp wished to strategy or beat that precedent. In spite of everything, the Freeman extension is now almost 9 years outdated. Matt Olson landed an eight-year, $168MM extension with the Braves going into his age-28 season final yr. Olson was a yr nearer to free company and coming off a .271/.371/.540 displaying that topped Reynolds’ .262/.345/.461 mark from 2022. Reynolds appears unlikely to succeed in the heights Olson secured for these causes, however that newer deal leads credence to the thought the Pittsburgh outfielder had a case to simply beat 9 figures.
That appears principally theoretical as long as Reynolds stays a Pirate. There’s no indication the perimeters plan to reengage on a possible long-term deal after talks collapsed. Nonetheless, it’s at the least potential one other membership swings a commerce for the middle fielder and subsequently seems to reopen extension discussions.
Pittsburgh has maintained they don’t plan to maneuver off a really lofty asking value in commerce talks, Reynolds’ request however. The Vanderbilt product has no recourse to pressure a commerce. Jon Morosi of MLB.com recommended late final month Pittsburgh was concentrating on a high-end pitching prospect on the heart of potential commerce packages. It’s exhausting to think about they’d rigidly require a deal being constructed round a younger arm, though that at the least serves as the newest reaffirmation GM Ben Cherington and his entrance workplace proceed to goal excessive.
However, Mackey suggests there’s an excellent likelihood the Bucs pull the set off on a Reynolds commerce in some unspecified time in the future in 2023. Pittsburgh continues to be amidst a rebuild, and Reynolds is their most interesting commerce candidate. They’re not underneath a lot monetary stress to make a transfer, though there’s actually a case for the membership to significantly entertain presents each this offseason and at subsequent summer season’s deadline — notably now that hopes of an extension appear to have evaporated. Assuming he has one other productive season, Reynolds would nonetheless have ample commerce worth by subsequent offseason, though it’s unlikely Pittsburgh will discover a lot stronger curiosity than there’ll be over the approaching months contemplating his window of membership management will solely shrink.
