Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds sent a clear message when he arrived days early to camp before his designated Feb. 20 allotted time.
He was ready to get to work with hitting coach Andy Haines, but there were some question marks that loomed over him.
The 28-year-old had asked the Pirates to trade him this offseason, but admitted on Wednesday he’s willing to accept an extension if the numbers were right.
Bryan Reynolds: Still a Pirate pic.twitter.com/y8aAzE6LvS
— Alex Stumpf (@AlexJStumpf) February 15, 2023
“I’ll sign a fair deal,” Reynolds told the media, including The Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel on Wednesday. “I don’t want it to be an unfair team deal. I don’t want either side of it to come out and be like, ‘Man, they kind of got us.’ I want it to be that both sides got some skin in it.”
Reynolds said it’s been his No. 1 choice to sign an extension with the team that earned him an All-Star selection in 2021.
https://twitter.com/BuccoBomb/status/1624158007612301314?s=20
Reynolds, who the San Francisco Giants traded in 2018 as part of the Andrew McCutchen deal, is under team control through 2025. He ultimately wanted to see what he was worth on a team that has been in rebuilding mode for countless years with Reynolds himself as the essential piece.
“I mean, without getting too much into it, I think just a difference in opinion of, I don’t know, I guess, what we viewed my worth is as a player — that’s where we ended up,” Reynolds added.
Reynolds noted nothing has changed on the trade request front with Pittsburgh.
The rumors swirled once the request had been made public. The New York Yankees were one of the bigger names that reportedly had an interest in Reynolds.
Reynolds is slashing a career .262/.345/.461. In 2021, he boasted a .302 average with 169 hits, a .912 OPS and 90 RBI in 159 games. He’s disciplined at the plate and finds his way with extra-base hits.
It’ll be interesting to see what unfolds as the season progresses, but for now, it’s good to know Reynolds is open to staying where he’s at.
