It’s been a few years since Bryan Reynolds rolls his bump with the Pirates. The outfielder, who turns 28 in a few weeks, is quite the ball player, but unfortunately for him, the Pirates aren’t able to build a competitive team around him.
The name of Reynolds, which has a big value on the trading market, is often at the heart of rumors, but the Pirates see it as an integral part of their future and they do not want to part with it.
That said, we had a new development in the file today, when the outfielder asked the Pirates to trade him.
Jason Mackey, who covers the team’s activities, says he doesn’t know the reasons behind the request, but we can suspect that it is (at least in part) due to the fact that the Pirates are not going anywhere.
Reynolds is starting to look like a young veteran, and while he’s still at the top of his game, it wouldn’t be surprising if he wanted to play for a more competitive team.
On the other hand, the Pirates issued a press release in the following minutes to affirm that they have no intention of compromising the outfielder.
Maybe that’s true, or maybe it’s a tactic to let other teams know they won’t be trading him at a discount. We want to keep some leverage, after all.
For the sake of the exercise, let’s assume the Pirates will trade Reynolds before the start of the season. Clearly, for a 28-year-old center fielder who is ambidextrous at bat, solid in all facets of the game and has three more years of control left, there won’t be any shortage of interested parties.
And of the lot, there is a team that would have not bad meaning: the Toronto Blue Jays.
Barring a surprise, the Jays will trade a receiver this offseason. Also, they need guys who are able to hit from the left and George Springer could move down the right to make room for Reynolds.
However, the price to pay will be high. I’m having a hard time seeing the Pirates accepting an offer that doesn’t include Gabriel Moreno (and maybe something else as a bonus).
Otherwise, Jon Morosi raises (in addition to the Jays) the Mets and Giants as possible destinations. Remember that Reynolds was drafted by the Giants, he who was traded to the Pirates in return for Andrew McCutchen a few years ago.
A short-term resolution seems unlikely, but once Aaron Judge and Brandon Nimmo sign, teams that miss the boat could turn to Reynolds. I don’t see the Yankees doing it given Harrison Bader’s presence, though, but you never know.
In short, this will clearly be a file to watch, since if Reynolds becomes available on the market, he could be the biggest fish to catch via transaction. Can’t wait to see where the outfielder will play in 2023…
