Miami Marlins perfect fit for Pittsburgh Pirates, Bryan Reynolds

The Pittsburgh Pirates have finally relented on their refusal to trade Bryan Reynolds. Their demands should move the Miami Marlins to the front of the pack vying for his services.

According to Jon Morosi from MLB Network, the Pirates have a particular requirement if they trade Reynolds this offseason. They are looking for a top starting pitcher to headline the package, with Morosi naming Bobby Miller and Ricky Tiedemann, both of whom are top 40 prospects, as examples of what the Pirates are looking for.

Miami Marlins need to call Pittsburgh Pirates on Bryan Reynolds

Enter the Miami Marlins. They have made it clear that not only are they looking for a center fielder, but they will trade virtually any of their pitchers to upgrade their lineup. This would presumably include their top pitching prospects.

The Marlins do have pitchers that would satisfy the Pirates’ quest for top pitching prospects. Eury Perez is listed as the ninth best prospect in baseball per MLB.com and could easily headline such a deal. Max Meyer is listed as the 43rd best prospect, and although he will miss the entire 2023 campaign due to Tommy John surgery, has the potential to be a top of the rotation arm. The Marlins would need to include more, especially if Meyer is the top pitching prospect included, but they do have the pieces that the Pirates could want.

Reynolds, meanwhile, would be exactly what the Marlins need in center. He has developed into a star, posting a 136 OPS+ with 51 homers and 54 doubles in 1260 plate appearances over the past two seasons. Although Reynolds does not have the type of defense the Marlins need at the position, having cost the Pirates 19 runs in center over the past two seasons, his offense more than makes up for those shortcomings.

Bryan Reynolds makes perfect sense for the Miami Marlins. It is just a matter of picking up the phone and calling the Pittsburgh Pirates.