While the Pittsburgh Pirates have not had many success stories in recent seasons, outfielder Bryan Reynolds has been one. And if Reynolds gets his way, he’ll be on a new team when the 2023 season gets going.
MLB Insider Robert Murray reported on Saturday afternoon that Reynolds asked to be traded.
Outfielder Bryan Reynolds has requested a trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to sources familiar with the situation.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) December 3, 2022
And if fan interest is anything to go off of, Reynolds will have plenty of interested suitors.
*updates Christmas list* https://t.co/NjKkQ8YeqF
— T.J. Zuppe (@TJZuppe) December 3, 2022
https://twitter.com/RogueHouSports/status/1599105055457959936
— Aldo Soto (@AldoSoto21) December 3, 2022
1. Yankee
2. I’ve always wondered why this wasn’t more common in baseball. https://t.co/khcSmRfhl3
— Ethan (@NYSportsFanCush) December 3, 2022
Future ranger https://t.co/7ydViUHfTa
— TXRangersUpdates (8-6) (@TXRUpdates) December 3, 2022
Oh really? https://t.co/PiXQgmMYd0 pic.twitter.com/YGVT26liMV
— Steve Lamb (@Real_sjl19) December 3, 2022
The #SFGiants should be all over this. Reynolds is the perfect fallback if they miss on Judge and would be a great second addition if they didn’t.
I’d try to loop David Bednar into the deal and offer Luciano, Matos, any non-Harrison milb starter, and any milb reliever. https://t.co/kLe5xkS8uM— Marc Delucchi (@maddelucchi) December 3, 2022
Now, Reynolds may want to be traded. But, do the Pirates want to trade Reynolds? He is set to make $6.75 million in 2023. That’s a great rate for a player of his caliber, even if for a notoriously thrifty team like the Pirates. After 2023, though, it gets tricky.
Following the 2023 season, Reynolds will have two more arbitration years before (barring a long-term deal) becoming a free agent in the 2025-26 offseason. While his price may be just fine for the Pirates in 2023, the next few seasons may be a different story.
Reynolds is a career .281/.361/.481 hitter. His best season came in 2021, when he hit .302/.390/.522, smacked eight triples, had 24 home runs and 90 RBI, made the National League All-Star team and — despite playing for a 101-loss team — finished 11th in NL MVP voting. Reynolds’ overall numbers were down in 2022. He hit .262/.345/.461. Still, he had a career-high 27 home runs.
So, knowing that a likely big price tag is coming with arbitration, Pittsburgh may be more likely to at least explore a trade. And even if Reynolds isn’t traded in the offseason, he’ll be a name to consider through the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline.
Given his production and the fact that he’ll be only 28 in the 2023 season, it’s no surprise that fans from around baseball want Reynolds. And if the Pirates want to trade him, plenty of executives will be after him, as well.
[Robert Murray on Twitter]
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