Pittsburgh Pirates: Bryan Reynolds Opens Up About Contract Talks

The Pittsburgh Pirates and one of their star outfielders have had a lot of attention this offseason. Now there is an update on that player's future in Pittsburgh.

This past December one of the biggest rumors in Major League Baseball regarded Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds requested a trade shortly after it was reported that he had turned down a contract extension. The extension was believed to be somewhere between $75-$80 million over 6 years.

This was apparently not even close to what the all-around outfielder wanted in a deal. Reports were that his camp asked for at least $50 million more within a few more years. The small market Pittsburgh Pirates of course are going to be hesitant about handing out longer-term and bigger money deals.

After the news came out about the contract offer, it quickly was announced that Bryan Reynolds also requested a trade. The trade request came in December and the rumors started to swirl. Many teams were connected to the switch-hitting outfielder including the New York Yankees, Miami Marlins, Seattle Mariners, and the Texas Rangers. Although, it is likely that others showed interest as well.

It seemed like a matter of "when" and not "if" for a Reynolds trade to occur. However, today pitchers and catchers reported for Spring Training. Reynolds is still a player for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Today, he told members of the media that he plans on playing this season in Black and Gold. He also opened up to the media about his thoughts on an extension and how he is definitely still open to the conversation with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

It should come as no surprise that the two sides are so far apart. The Pittsburgh Pirates have never handed a contract out worth the original $75-$80 they offered Reynolds, let alone a $100 million dollar deal. It will be interesting to see how serious the Pirates are about spending to retain some of their players.