Earlier in the offseason, Pittsburgh Pirates star Bryan Reynolds made it clear to the front office that his desire was to be traded.
Reynolds has three seasons of team control remaining and makes for a really enticing trade piece for contenders.
The Pirates want to extend him, but made him a lowball offer that is too far below market value for a player of his caliber, youth, and team control remaining.
They remain reluctant to deal with him, though, because they don’t like the offers that have been presented to them.
In other words, they don’t want to pay him what he deserves and they don’t want to get rid of him via trade.
It’s an ugly situation in Pittsburgh, and Reynolds is their best player.
On Wednesday, at the Pirates’ training camp, he reiterated his desire: he wants to play for another organization.
He said he reported early because he wanted to be ready for the season and enjoy a semi-normal spring training “for once,” but his stance hasn’t changed.
Bryan Reynolds says he still wants to be traded pic.twitter.com/ZZ95suHDlL
—Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 15, 2023
The Pirates have Oneil Cruz, Ke’Bryan Hayes, and David Bednar, but it’s pretty clear that Reynolds is their best and most accomplished player.
He has hit 51 home runs over the last two seasons and has a career .842 OPS.
He is also capable of playing center field, although he is better suited in one of the corners.
He is a legitimate starting-caliber outfielder for any contender, but his chances of playing postseason baseball with the Pirates are slim to none.
A trade might be in everybody’s best interests.
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Pirates Land An Elite Prospect Atop Latest MLB Ranking
