Pittsburgh Pirates: Continued Rumors Swirl Around Reynolds

The Pittsburgh Pirates might have the most valuable player in the trade market.  There continues to be rumors swirling on his availability in the trade market.

When Ben Cherington took over, it was clear to him that the Pittsburgh Pirates needed to rebuild. His first move was trading Starling Marte to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He followed by making a flurry of trades last offseason with first baseman Josh Bell and pitchers Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon being traded. The last three seasons for the Pirates have been poor seasons, but there appear to be two clear players to build around in Bryan Reynolds and Ke’Bryan Hayes.

Reynolds struggled in 2020 after a stellar rookie season. Similarly, Hayes last season struggled after a good month in September 2020.   However, those two players seem to be the two players most likely to be on the next contender. Reynolds rebounded and had a really strong 2021 where he hit .302/.390/.522 and got his first All-Star nod, while also finishing 11th in the MVP vote.

We’ve already broken down here at Rum Bunter why Reynolds will get buzz, his production and years of control are desirable to every team.  The asking price the club gave to both the Marlins and Mariners indicates they will listen, as long as it’s an aggressive overpay.  This is important.  Former General Manager Jim Bowden, now at the Athletic, thinks a team will ultimately overpay for the Pirates outfielder.  He ranked Reynolds as the third most likely star to be traded and wrote

"“However, the Pirates’ asking price is exorbitant, and no team has come close to finalizing a deal. That said, with Reynolds’ upside, I’m betting someone will overpay with a prospect package to land him from the rebuilding Buccos this winter.”"

We’ve examined that most teams rumored around Reynolds do not have the prospects to get a deal done. This seems to continue to be the case, as Bowden connects the Yankees, Marlins, and Phillies.  It’s been reported the asking price from the Marlins, which is a good sign for Pirates fans, as it likely means Reynolds will stay. However, it’s noteworthy when somebody like Bowden says this.  He was a General Manager for a long time and is still connected.  We’ll stay to keep up on the rumors this offseason so make sure to keep checking out the site.