Due to the 99-day lockout this winter, a significant number of arbitration cases remain unsettled as the season begins. One of those is Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds. With the player filing at $4.9MM and the team at $4.25MM, a $650K gap exists between the sides. While some teams have made exceptions this year to the game’s otherwise-pervasive file-and-trial policy, it appears the Pirates would like to stay true to that without setting up a midseason fight with their best player. According to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “the team has been pushing to sign Reynolds to at least a two-year deal.”
Reynolds, 27, is entering the arbitration system for the first time. That means his 2022 salary will echo down the road, since he’ll also be arbitration eligible for the 2023, ’24, and ’25 seasons. A two-year deal would at least provide the Pirates with some cost certainty. Plus, Mackey’s sources say owner Bob Nutting does not like the optics of going to an arbitration hearing with Reynolds.
A recent example of what the Pirates appear to be aiming for happened with the Dodgers and Walker Buehler. The club had exchanged figures with Buehler in January ’21 and were facing an $850K gap, but instead hammered out a two-year, $8MM deal to buy out his first two arbitration years without affecting the team’s control over the player, going to a hearing, or violating the file-and-trial policy.
Reynolds generated plenty of interest on the trade market this offseason, with the Padres and Marlins among those recently connected. Pirates GM Ben Cherington recently said to Mackey, “Those calls are incoming calls. They’re not outgoing calls.”
Yesterday, the Pirates announced the largest contract in franchise history, an eight-year, $70MM extension with third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes. Reynolds reportedly turned down some extension offers from the Pirates prior to the 2021 season. His price can only have risen since, significantly beyond that of Hayes. Reynolds told Mackey in February of this year that he hadn’t heard anything from the Bucs prior to the lockout.
For God’s sake, just pay him the $4.9M, or agree to a $4.8M deal. I hate this team
Then I suggest that you change your screen name.
At least you still have the Steelers and Penguins.
Penguins are 3 years away from a long rebuild but it’s been amazing watching Crosby Malkin and Letang together. Letang and rust are gone in FA. Steelers in year 2 of the retool is fun
There is something wrong with baseball when you constantly try to get rid of your best players
It works for Tamba Bay, not for the Bucs
It’s a root problem
ugh
Curly-I like your screen name but your posts quite often remind me that indeed,in fact,Moe was the smart Stooge.
This one does too.
I think the Pirates are the favorite to win the hearing. He isn’t no rookie of the year or mvp. Not a ton of hrs rbi. Right now it’s hundreds of thousands but if he wins at the 4.9 or pirates would give in it will be millions extra money for him throughout his arbitration years.
Yes ridiculous. Not like he won’t remember this either. Playing hard ball with your best player over 650k. What an embarrassment
Obviously its not your half a million!
2 year 10 mil deal?
No. If he’s getting almost 5M this year, his price will only go up next year. I could see 2 years, 13-14M.
4.5 is what otc has if he rakes like last year he will double that in 23 if not it will be 7 million so 2-14 is fair I might do 3/27 and get through 25
Bob Nutting, is that you?
What a shame that the largest contract in Pirates history goes to a totally unproven player… that gets injured on Opening Day. Here’s to another horrible season!!
Yes. The organization that went the same route with Polanco never learns. They overlook a guy they can really build around and do this for yet another guy who’s shown flashes, as Polanco did
One question. What happens when Gonzalez, Davis, Cruz, Priester and numerous others in the deep Pirates farm system show similar flashes? Interesting precedent they’ve set here
Agree with you 100%
The same team did the same thing with McCutchen and Marte too. Also with Tabata 2 players stayed healthy and produced 2 did not. What is your point? Happens with every team.
Poor analogy but I’m sure you know that. Cutch had played 240+ games by the time the extension game and had few doubters about his potential. Marte had played an entire season with double digit homers and doubles. There was little doubt about him, either
On the contrary, there are still questions about Hayes, from his hitting to his durability.
In addition, strange that you would compare the Pirates and their payroll to “every team” and this Pirates front office and limited roster to the Pirates of the Cutch-Marte era. As a fan, it was no surprise to see the Pirates as an up and coming team of the era. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone to say they see this team contending any time soon
Again, why the rush? And with so many top prospects coming up, how does it make sense? I’ve already said enough about Reynolds, the guy who they should be building around
Every team has extend players in their early years in the league. Every team has had hits and every team has had misses. That was the only comparison that I was making. For a team like the Pirates the rush is, if they do not extend early, they will not be able to compete as the player nears FA as if the player blossoms, the player knows that the top half of the league in revenue will out bid anything the Pirates or any other lower half revenue team can. Incidentally, Reynolds may have no interest in extending unless the Pirates offer crazy money as he will be entering FA going into his age 31 season. That fact may well keep him from wanting to extend into his FA years because his value will start dropping. If they do offer crazy money, it may keep them from extending any of the guys in AAA and AA that will soon be in the Burgh.
Yeah Cutch and Reynolds are on similar paths and Cutch said in 19 his extension cost him a chance at 200 million contract. Hayes is closer to Eric Chavez or Matt Champan who made money on defense to start out and took time to hit. Hayes is a gamble who if he does hit was robbed lol but if not his extension is fair
Few thought that the Polanco deal was a bad one. That deal is exactly why those who whine that the player signed against his best interests, should realize that swings both ways. Hayes is injury prone and now he’s set for life. How’s that bad?
Exactly right. If Polanco does not have injury issues, he would still be in RF and could well have been looking at a huge deal coming after 2023. Injuries happened and he is in Japan now.
I don’t want to appear like I’m stalking you but you can’t be serious with this one. I liked Polanco like everyone else but the kid never did learn to play right field at PNC. He never could pick up spin on a pitch and had zero plate discipline. Most notably, he might have been the worst Pirates base runner in recent history. Not sure in what galaxy he’d have been a superstar without an incredible amount of practice. Guess the point is, how did Pirates development coaches not see all of this?
Did you read the part about Reynolds turning down extension offers made by Pirates in previous years? You think maybe it’s a possibility Reynolds doesn’t want to sign an extension because he won’t be a FA until he’s 31 years old?
As for Hayes, his value has a high floor because of his world-class defense. And he has proven he has capabilities to hit extremely well when healthy. None of his injuries are career threatening like Polanco’s shoulder. Don’t compare the two. Not even close to similar players.
Everyone is so quick to jump on the Hayes extention and say how bad it is. The kid hasn’t even played a full season yet. The injury wasn’t even bad. It was a thumb sprain and the trainer said he was feeling no pain after the game. It’s early in the season, you just invested the largest contract in the franchise’s history earlier that day, and the kid is considered a guy to build around. Maybe a little too premetive before saying how he’s a bust. Everyone expects imediate results when that’s simpily not realistic.
Also it averages under 9 mil. By the time the contract ends most bench players will be making like 3 mil. Imo. So 9 mil is not that much I wonder what the projections were for Hayes 5 yrs remaining and reynolds 4 yrs of control. Is a reynolds 7 yrs 125 in the ballpark
Bryan was projected to earn $40-46 million in his arbitration years after his production in his first 120 games.
8/70 was an extremely team friendly deal.
Called the Pirates cuz they constantly rob the players
It’s all about the pillaging.
“Arrrrrr, we lose and pillage, pillage and lose and then we lose some more, yo ho yo ho it’s a Pirate’s life for me!”
– Bob Nutting
Its a business and it goes both way….a reasonable extension is what benefits both…if Reynolds doesn’t want to extend…then why give in to his agents demand ?
Agree. If BR doesn’t want to commit any FA years to PIT then there’s no reason to give him any guaranteed $’s. May be similar to Betts. BOS made reasonable offers but he didn’t want to play there. He rode the risk until he was a pending FA and it worked out fine for him.
Because he’ll be gone if the Bucs don’t show him some love.
It matters not how much love you show a player with regards to the player leaving or going. If I am Reynolds, it would not matter how much they paid me between now and the 2025 season because after the 2025 season will be my first and best chance to land the biggest contract that I will ever get because that contract will start in my age 31 season. My value will only decrease with every year that passes starting in 2026. His age will be the biggest factor in him most likely testing the FA market after 2025. I do not blame him in the least.
Yes I think he will be 31 as a free agent
If he doesn’t want to sign an extension, Pirates won’t be the winner in FA.
The prospects won’t bubble up at some predetermined time, or all together. So the only way for the Bucs to get back into it is to keep Reynolds; one year at a time, through arbitration, is a more efficient way than some crazy extension. The same Rynolds who was great in 2019 and 2021 pooped the bed in 2020.
Fans who scream for extensions left and right are the same ones who’ll be cursing those same deals 2 years from now (“How do we get out of this?????”).
Don’t trade him; you need to accumulate players, not just shuffle them around.
The only way he gets traded between now and at least the 2024 deadline is if someone knocks Cherington’s socks off. Based on what the reported ask has been, that is what it will take to move him in the near future. He will get moved if his intent is to test the FA waters because they will lose him for nothing at that point.
The ONLY ways the Pirates will “get back into it” is for Nutting to sell. He found out that its more profitable to lose than to win, so he is going to pocket the money instead of putting a great team on the field.
The Pirates have 2 positions that are not complete holes in the lineup today. Only Hayes and Reynolds were above league average. If EVERY top prospect panned out, and the averages say that less than 1 in 5 will even be league average, then the Pirates would still have huge holes in the field and slots in their rotation.
Without signing major FA (or trading away all the prospects), the Pirates cannot contend and Nutting won’t do more than dipping his toe in the shallow end of the FA market.
Even signing Hayes was an exercise in cheapness. Signing him for all of his peak years at less than $9 million per season is going the cheapest route possible. His performance and 2.4 WAR in his first 120 games pointed towards him earning $4-5 million in his first season of arbitration eligibility and a total of $40-46 million in arbitration. This extremely team friendly deal also makes it easier to trade him when the Pirates aren’t contending in 2 or 3 years..
Going year to year always benefits the player more. Most players are not willing to take the risk and sign a team friendly contract to lock in their earnings. That is what Hayes did. Reynolds has said he wants to go year to year.
Reynolds is a 5 WAR player currently in the beginning of his peak years. Why would fans be angry that the team extended a player like that?
You miss the obvious with Nutting. If you’re going to lock up a kid who is really just a solid prospect to, by team standards, a large contract, just what happens when all of the can’t miss kids get here?
Will he be locking up Cruz, Davis, Gonzalez, Priester and numerous others? I just don’t get the precedent that this tightwad has set. Is the obvious reaction that he’s suddenly committed to seeing this group through to be believed???
The Pirates had a respectable payroll back in 2016-2017. They sat around $100 million each year, which isn’t awful. Problem was Neal Huntington put over a third of that of that toward replacement level free agents and arbitration cases like Ryan Vogelsong and Jeff Locke. There’s a massive difference between two $15 million players and ten $3 million players. If he’s willing to put that kind of payroll back up, the team will sign a decent free agent or two. They have enough prospects that they can fill a decent amount of holes on the team. They have a ton of outfield capable prospects and infield prospects. There’s a brand new development team at the helm, and I believe thtey can be above average when it comes to translating minor league numbers into major league success.
Mlb-Do you really think that these young players are going to play like Mike Trout once they reach the ML?They all need at least another year in the minors.
And if you think Cruz is going to be a major league shortstop you will have a rude awakening.
I think that Contreras has a decent chance of becoming a good ML pitcher but they cannot rush him.
I have them at 67 games although I had hoped that they would hit 71.
Reynolds, Hayes, Cruz is a solid core (if Cruz is good as they say he will be)
Just lock them up morons
Pirates have already had enough of their best players locked up.
They threw away Vazquez’s key even.
Vazquez might be the greatest pedophile in MLB history career wise.
Sort of what you did with Yelich.
Pitching is what wins. Luck is what is advances the playoffs. Big bats are great. Big arms are better.
I guess if the Guardians aren’t going to trade Ramirez for Biggio, the Pirates may as well make the Reynolds-Biggio trade. Only thing that makes sense to me.
I’d value Reynolds higher than Ramirez. They won’t lock up Reynolds. Trading him to Houston makes sense to me
MLB is completely broken from a competitive standpoint.
But money wins in the end.
Baseball will die or go the way of polo if the powers-that-be don’t wise up.
No team has repeated in a long time. Not sure I’d agree it’s broken from a competitive standpoint.
It is hard to repeat as WS champs because the playoffs are such a crapshoot. But it is a lot easier to get to the playoffs and give your team a chance to win.
Vt-There are 8 small market teams and 8 large market( rich) teams.What do you think is the ratio of the number of WS wins during the last 29 seasons for these two groups?
It is 17 to 1.
Do you still think that your statement is true based on this fact?
This Bucs team isn’t going to win 60 games.
#FreeBryanReynolds
Thanks Nostrodaumus. Question: when you are done rolling around, flailing about in your little child-like tantrum, are going to run away too?
I’ll drink to that….
On the Pirates 28 man roster as of today, two players were league average or better last season. 26 were below league average. Most were negative WAR.
It would take a miracle for the Pirates to win 70 games. All of the O/U lines have them at 63.5-65.5 wins. That seems like a reasonable number.
The division is very bad vegas set the o/u at 65 so 70 is possible.
Taking the bat out of Newman’s hands every day and not starting Wil Crowe every 5 days is at least two wins in and of itself. Once you replance Newman with Cruz and Crowe with Contreras, you’re already adding a much better chance of reaching upwards of 70 wins. Get some of the other prospects at Triple-A like Swaggerty, Smith-Njigba, Martin, Rodolfo Castro, Ji-hwan Bae, and Cal Mitchell to replace some of those replacement level players and 70 is very realistic. FanGraphs I think had the Pirates at 69 wins. The difference between 69 wins and 71 wins is one player slightly overperforming expectations.
Division is same as last year. Brewers Cards are just as good. Reds look worse but not as bad as most people believe. Cubs look better than last year. They just lost big names. They more than replaced them.
No it isn’t the the cubs pitching is worse outside of Hendricks and the line up weaker. The brewers lack hitting still cards have a ton of questions on the staff vegas says Milwaukee will win the division with 88 wins
I beat vegas more times than not.
I believe they’ll reach at least 70. Eventually, guys like Cruz and Contreras will get to the majors. Plus Double-A and Tirple-A are stacked right now. I don’t expect us to be good, but better than last year.
As players get moved up from AAA to MLB and AA to AAA and A+to AA as this year goes, we will get a glimpse at 2023. May not yet be a major contender but 2023 could be a fun year in the Burgh as more of the guys from AAA now and some of the AA guys from now are in Pittsburgh finally.
Even if they only win 80-85 games in 2023, they could be a realistic WC contender. That year, you start seeing guys like Priester, Gonzales, Peguero getting regular playing time. Cruz and Contreras will likely graduate rookie status this year. Might see Carmen Mlodzinski sometime in the second half of this season as well. Eventually, Swaggerty, Matt Fraizer, and Canaan Smith-Njigba will be replacing guys like Gamel, Alford, and Tucker in the grass. Get Yajure and Keller some starts in and they’re not looking half bad.
Yup. potentially some good things coming soon. Hoping they stay healthy and keep developing. Next offseason should start seeing some more talented FA pickups to start filling in the holes for 2023 and more so 2024. By then Davis and Rodriguez should be up plus Jones, and 1 or 2 of the several 2021 pitchers drafted. Has been fun to watch all this developing.
I nearly spit out my coffee. 80-85 wins in 2023?
How about 70-75? That might be realistic with some small FA additions in the upcoming offseason. If both Cruz and Gonzalez make it to the show in 2022 and excel, a huge if, then they might improve 1 or 2 wins from the 63.5-65.5 they are expected to win. The chances of both doing that are minuscule.
Do you think Nutting is suddenly going to go out and spend huge dollars in the FA market to make up the other 15-20 wins? I don’t.
I think you’re overanalyzing it. Gonzales will spend most of this year in the minor leagues. He probably won’t play enough to make an impact on this season. Most I see him getting is a late-September Call-up similar to what happened to Cruz and Contreras last season. Same goes for Peguero. As long as both Peguero and Gonzales don’t hit like Kevin Newman, they’ll add a lot of value because of their good defense and solid hitting ability.
Cruz should make enough of an impact to add 2-3 wins on his own. Him and Contreras should come up around the same time and Contreras can add 1-3 on his own as well. If Hayes hits for a 105-115 wRC+, he’ll easily be a 3-WAR player. 85-88 wins is best case scenario in my opinion. 77-82 is the much more realistic look for 2023 if you ask me.
You also have to take into consideration addition by subtraction. Newman has literally been the league’s worst hitter the last 2 seasons. If someone comes up and puts up a 90 wRC+, that’s a massive improvement over him. Getting him out of regular playing time is at least an additional win on its own. The Pirates have enough pitching depth that someone like Wil Crowe shouldn’t be making more than 5 starts a season. He’s starting the year in the bullpen in a long relief role, which I think he can at least be solid at. Chances are, both Matt Fraizer, Travis Swaggerty, Canaan Smith-Njigba will be noticable improvements once Gamel and especially Alford aren’t considered regualrs for this team.
I think that Cherington has done a fine job. Like most, there is a light at the end of this tunnel, although it’s hard to see 2023 as the great coming out party
What continues to gnaw at me as a fan is ownership’s role in all of this. The simple question remains: will Nutting pay these up and coming stars along the lines of what he shelled out for Hayes because let’s face it…he will have to
I can go round and round on the Reynolds issue. I get it. But it’s not over analyzing the situation to realize that if even half of the kids coming up have the talent, the payroll will have to expand.
That’s all.
It’s odd to me that Nutting has set a precedent with the Hayes deal, nothing more. I would love to hear him say, “We are committed to a winning franchise, beginning with our farm system and current young stars…and are willing to pay them for their talents”
I dunno. Have just seen too many good players and prospects sent away over the years, as a rationale for the never-ending rebuild
@THE downvoter–Not one of the local sports media “experts” have a clue who the Pirates have coming in the minors. You listen to anyone of them or read any of their articles, they all act like there is not one player with any talent with the Bucs or in their system except for Reynolds and Cruz.. They could not tell you who besides is playing in AAA or below. So of course all those that read or listen to these people also believe that the Pirates are devoid of any talent. Amazing to see the freaking lemming attitude. They all also think that if Mark Cuban would have been able to purchase the Bucs, things would have been different. Cuban is on record now saying he is glad that Nutting would not sell because he could not see himself being an investor in an MLB team now because to him the league is a mess. The team does not have strong local revenue streams. Neither Cuban or any owner will sink their own cash into player payroll year after year. No owner in any city does or will. Cuban does not for the Mavericks. That is why he said that he is very happy the deal never happened.
Some ‘fans’ will never be happy with the Pirates. They could throw a no hitter and people will complain it wasn’t a perfect game. They could win the World Series in 7 games and there would still be contempt because it wasn’t a 4 game sweep.
Dude- You raise good points.
Did he pony up to keep one of the all time greats and a classy guy to boot in a Pirate uniform?
I doubt that he will change how they have approached free agency.
Do the small market teams have any other choice?
With all due respect to Cutch,did the Phillies get a $50 M return for their investment?
These owners are by and large good businessmen and they know signing off on untold millions for low 30’s age players normally does not pay off.
It is frustrating but that is MLB.
Reynolds is expected to earn around $11 million in arbitration next season. I wonder what the Pirates are offering him for a 2 year deal.?
Would 2/14 get it done? A small team discount.. Or is Reynolds going to hold to his statement last year that he is going to go year to year in arbitration?
I still believe that they’ll get a Reynolds deal done at some point. Maybe I’m just being optimistic, but they did it before with guys like Josh Harrison, Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, and Gregory Polanco. They just gave Hayes a deal, so maybe they’ll go for another one soon. But I’d be more hopeful if they either settled the arbitration situation, or significantly closed the gap between the amounts.
It may get done if he really does want to stick around and is not bent on going FA after 2025. I have posted for months now that given his age, he has to know that his first FA eligibility year will be his best and probably only chance at a big FA payday as he will be heading into his age 31 year with that contract. If he would extend for 2 or 3 years into his FA seasons, he would be trying to get a FA deal going into his age 33 or 34 seasons with a FA deal. His value would drop then and would not get a very long term deal at all by then. Will be an interesting decision that he will have to make.
Hey mlb1225, long-time no chat and good to see ya. Soft spot in my heart for your Pirates and hope to see you contend sooner rather than later… how’s Tucupita and Hudson Head looking? I had the wild thought that Nutting is just saving his chips for a better hand… do you think he will pay the contracts for sustained success? Or is the team better off with him selling? Not that we control anything, but fans of baseball would like to see better for you guys. Be good buddy!
Talking bad about Nutting is just beating a dead horse at this point. What else is there to say that already hasn’t been said one hundred thousand million times? Yeah, we’d be much better off if he were willing to spend money. I’ll give him credit as he did give the Pirates more budget back in 2016-2018. The problem was where a lot of that was allocated to. In 2016 and 2017, you had a team with a payroll around $100 million, but a third of that tied up to guys like Jeff Locke, Ryan Vogelsong, Juan Nicasio, Daniel Hudson, John Jaso, Neftali Feliz, and about a half dozen other replacement level players. Two $15 million free agents aren’t the same as ten, $3 million free agents. If he’s once again willing to give the Pirates a similar budget, something in the $90-$110 million range, I think we’ll be a little more aggressive when it comes to signing FA’s or extensions. Heck, we saw it already with Hayes.
I’m still pretty high on Hudson Head. He has the athleticism and fielding prowess you like to see from a centerfielder. Plus he has good power and plate discipline. He needs to serisously cut down on his strikeouts though. Talent is there, just needs refinement. I have a soft spot for guys like Marcano. He walks a lot and avoids K’s. Plus he can play multiple positions fairly well. Problem is, he doesn’t make much hard contact, but neither did Adam Frazier, the guy who they traded him for. The ovbisous comparrison to Marcano is David Fletcher, which I’ll be happy if that’s what he turns into.
Gwynn-Thanks for the kudos.You’re still one of my all time favorite players.
Cheers!
-Head always had a long, looping swing. Power for days though!
-I can see Marcano having a fun career for you guys. Maybe the power doesn’t develop (or does?) but all other skills should. Keen eye. “A better” Profar might be the case but a comp to Fletch would be even better for the Pirates.
-So many Pirates to love! Clemente, Pops, Cobra, Tekulve, Bonds, Kendall, Brian Giles, Cutch… Reynolds. Almost hate to name them because I’ll start leaving people out! I’m forgetting a bunch…
-Since we’ve seen it before (and now, as mentioned) I think we DO see Nutters spend on a winner. So much talent coming for you guys, besides the obvious Top 5 Org Prospects (I really like Oneil) there’s lots of depth. Good days ahead, soon I hope! Have a great year y’all!
I’ll give you Aaron hicks for him
If you really want to help tip the scales, offer Higashioka for Henry Davis as the sweetener. Good luck
Bob Nutting worried about optics?
I have decided that I would be okay with the following…
2021: Braves (obviously already happened)
2022: Braves
2023: Braves
2024: Pirates
2025: Braves
2026: Pirates
2027: Pirates
2028: Braves
2029: Pirates
This post will draw some ire….that being said, the window for a small market team isnt 5 or 6 years, as listed in your schedule. You have to burn prospects to get assets for 1 or 2 hard push. ….unless you are the Dodgers, who just buys whatever they need with the $250M+ per year tv deal.
I would say on average three years but this is something that few large market fans can comprehend nor care about it.
Reynolds will ultimately be traded this off-season if not before. His FA starts right at the beginning of the supposed window. It may back things up a year but they now have a leg to stand on since Hayes is locked up.
He doesn’t get to free agency until 2026 at age 31 the window is 23-24. At worst he is traded in 25 like Marte was with a year of control left.
Actually Marte had two years left but they wanted to get his $10M off the books sooner rather than later.
They easily could have waited a year and got more for him.
The window is not next year. It’s more like 24 or 25 starting. This will be the excuse to dump him. Doesn’t seem like he wants to be here longer than he has to anyways.
And I think that the Pirates have figured that your last statement is true,especially in that he does not want to push free agency past his age of 31.
It may very well have nothing to do with Pittsburgh or the Pirates.
Reynolds thinks he’s the greatest thing to ever happen to Pittsburgh. F that guy. Dude apparently has never heard of Wagner, Clemente, Mazeroski, McCutcheon, Bradshaw, Swann, Greene, Harris, Lemieux, Crosby, Ward, and Bettis. GTFO with your ego dude. You and your schmuck-stache.
O’s bro-Please tell us how you really feel about Brian Reynolds
I think the Pirates are just really bad at evaluating their own talent. Hayes is a light hitting utility infielder/defensive replacement that they have an 8 yr deal to. And they pinch Pennies with their stud CF. He’ll be traded anyway by the deadline so who cares right?
This is a hot take for a fan from a team with their the immortal Alec Bohm as their third baseman.
You are a nut..once Hayes fills out he’s going to be a superstar…not a utility light hitting player….keep hitting the crack pipe….
Either sign this guy Reynolds or trade him to a team that cares and will pay him:
Tigers, Padres, Phillies and more options too!
GM should bring his “ask” down to a reasonable level….
It is getting old for this to be dragging on and on and on….
Smart play is to sign him (if the team wants a 2 year deal) to the following. ….
Year 1- $5mil
Year 2- $7.5mil
But I can see a 3 year deal with the 3rd year being around $8mil to $8.5mil.
The Pirates by being to cheap will not have this situation end well for them.
Reynolds is not signing an extension because he wants to maximize his free agent contract and he will be reaching the time at 31 that he can no longer do it.
They need him now to lend as much creditability as possible to the team and for the fans.
No doubt that he will be traded with a year or two left before free agency unless they get a monster deal in return before then.
It is not any more complicated than that.