Pittsburgh Pirates should cash in on Bryan Reynolds’ hot start

All the recent talk has been about a new contract, but the Pittsburgh Pirates should now shift course and try to cash in on Bryan Reynolds’ hot start to the season.

Back in early December, in a sure reflection of frustration with losing, outfielder Bryan Reynolds asked the Pittsburgh Pirates for a trade. There were some rumored suitors, but Reynolds said he was open to long-term deal to stay in Pittsburgh and that’s the direction the conversation has moved in.

Most recently, as the season got going and past what was a soft Opening Day deadline for negotiations, the Pirates and Reynolds have reportedly made a lot of progress from where they were on a new contract. The reported deal would span eight years (including this year), and pay him $106 milliion.

But a hangup over Reynolds wanting an opt-out clause after the 2026 season has reportedly halted things, with the team reluctant to include that. The Pirates would only get one of Reynolds’ free agent years if he exercised an opt-out after 2026, so that hesitation is understandable on their end. It was reported Reynolds was willing to backload the deal, so that he’d be walking away from larger salaries if he opted out.

As it sits right now, Reynolds is under team control through 2025.

Pirates should shift course and try to cash in on Bryan Reynolds’ hot start

Reynolds has had a blistering start to the 2023 season. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, “dropping” his slash-line to .417/.444/1.000 on the season with four home runs and seven RBI.

Reynolds was an instant contributor for the Pirates, finishing fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2019 as he hit .314/.377/.503 with 16 home runs, 68 RBI, and 37 doubles over 134 games. He earned an All-Star selection and got some MVP votes in 2021, as he hit .302/.390/.522 with 24 home runs, 90 RBI, 35 doubles and a major league-high eight triples. Most of his numbers fell in 2022, but he did hit a career-high 27 home runs.

Reynolds has split time between center and left field early this season. The numbers (deeper or otherwise) say he’s not a great defensive outfielder, but he’s not awful either. A move to playing left field more, if not every day eventually, was in order though.

There is a broader question about the Pirates’ desire to be competitive, and that is certainly a factor in Reynolds wanting the option to opt-out if he signs a long deal. He is 28 years old, so he’s got some peak years left. If he was able to opt out after 2026, the Pirates may be able to avoid paying him a lot of money for some decline years at the end of a full eight-year deal.

There are surely some teams who’d be interested, still or newly interested, in trading for Reynolds. He’s a very good player, but if contract talks have really stalled the Pirates should see a potential sell-high moment when it’s in front of them. Reynolds’ hot start is providing that moment to possibly shift course, and trade him for a nice return.