The Pirates and center fielder Bryan Reynolds have agreed to a two-year contract to avoid arbitration, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN (Twitter link). The deal covers the 2022-23 campaigns and doesn’t affect the team’s window of contractual control. Reynolds is a CAA Sports client.
It’s a $13.5MM guarantee, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). He’ll receive matching $6.75MM salaries in each of the next two seasons, adds Rob Biertempfel of the Athletic.
Mackey wrote last week the Pirates were hoping to get a two-year deal done with Reynolds. As he noted, the Bucs are a “file-and-trial” team, meaning they decline to discuss one-year agreements with players once the deadline to exchange arbitration figures passes. That’s a fairly common practice around the league, albeit one teams set themselves.
By establishing the precedent they won’t continue negotiations after filing day, the reasoning goes, teams can deter players from filing at a high number in hopes of anchoring further discussions from an elevated starting point. If team and player go to a hearing, the arbitrator chooses one of the side’s desired figures rather than picking a midpoint. That incentivizes both to file for a salary reasonably in line with established precedent, since an outlier in either direction is less likely to be judged fair in the hearing.
On the other hand, going to a hearing with a star player like Reynolds isn’t ideal. The 27-year-old maintained in the past he wouldn’t be miffed by the process, but also acknowledged that the inherently adversarial arbitration process can sometimes get “messy” (link via Mackey). Signing a two-year deal after filing day allows the Pirates to maintain they’ve not violated their “file-and-trial” policy while avoiding the possibility of irritating one of their best players.
From Reynolds’ perspective, he locks in guaranteed earnings over the next couple years without delaying his path to free agency. He’ll also make more money this season than he would’ve even had he won a hearing. Reynolds’ camp had filed for a $4.9MM salary; the team had countered at $4.25MM. Pittsburgh will go above Reynolds’ desired mark this year to foreclose the possibility he receives a notable raise in 2023 with another big season.
Both sides are surely glad to avoid hearings for the next two years, but Reynolds’ long-term status with the organization isn’t much affected by today’s news. This was his first of four seasons of arb-eligibility as a Super Two qualifier. Barring another agreement at some point down the line, he’ll head through the arbitration process again in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 offseasons.
Reynolds is controllable through 2025, his age-30 campaign. He reportedly rejected an extension offer from the Bucs prior to the 2021 season and said in Spring Training the organization hadn’t seriously approached him about a long-term deal this year. Biertempfel tweets the two sides have discussed various potential contract structures in the past. It stands to reason they’ll eventually make a renewed effort at a longer-term pact.
Avoids another arbitration hearing next year. Also makes him easier to trade.
He no doubt is intent on heading to,FA after the 2025 season. Nice for both sides that he got 2 years. Team has cost certainty for 2 seasons and he does not have to deal with next year’s arbitration. Depends on offers that Cherington receives and how well all of the prospects that are coming over this and next season how soon he will be traded.
I think it’s more that the Pirates are no doubt intent on trading him in the last couple of years of control. Reynolds says he’s willing to entertain an extension but I’m sure not at the 30 cents on the dollar that the Pirates would want to pay.
FSF: Yeah, Pirates extending Reynolds is like Judge allegedly wanting to be a Yankee for life….
The Yankees could hand the Pirates $250M to extend Reynolds at no cost to the Pirates & the Pirates would pocket the money instead of extending him. That’s the Nutting Way.
Clipp, I agree with you. The whole Judge thing rubs me the wrong way the more I think about it. The Yanks made him an offer that I don’t believe ANY other team would have if they were trying to extend him. He made his bed and he can lie in it, come what may.
Even if he were to somehow squeeze another $30M or so in free agency from another club, I don’t see how that would remotely help his brand and he has virtually no chance of making the HOF so being a Yankee lifer would have meant a whole lot of legacy. Oh well, it’s his decision and life.
Judge way overvalued himself. He is Stanton 2.0 and everyone knows what an albatross that contract is. I can’t believe ( well yes I can) Cashman “:The Genius” was stupid enough to offer him that much and for Judge to decline it.
Stanton’s contract isn’t an albatross – that’s a terrible, but often used, illustration of an albatross contract. Stanton’s value is far above what he gets paid, not below. The only reason he’s a DH is because of the club, not because he can’t play defense. In fact, when Judge leaves, Stanton will play a very good RF, possibly even GG-worthy.
Well the other reason he’s a DH is because of his injury history. If he goes back to RF I bet he spends more time on IL than not
Yeah, but he was actually healthier when he was in the field more, believe it or not. But, yes, preservation of his health is the primary logic behind his DHing, I agree.
Stanton is not that great lol. Look at his NY numbers, especially games played, and factor in that he’s a DH because he gets hurt all the time. They’re decent numbers overall. But not crazy world beating top guy in the league numbers whatsoever, again factoring in his (non) position. Seems like some typical Yankee homer bs lol, ala Andujar, Frazier, etc hype..
Slim-Stanton contract is very well an albatross for the Yankees.It would kill a small market team that was stupid enough to get it.
He is 32 and in decline.A fine player and a great hitter at one point,but every player peaks and he has done so.
Please let these two Yankee fans alone.Let them live in their own little world.They have a right to do so.
I will leave the Yankees fans alone and let them live their fantasy, sir. Lol
Slim-Thank you young man,
It is the right thing to do.
The whole Yankee fan base is an albatross. They always want and want…yet Yankees haven’t done anything in 13 years. Sign all those over paid players who overvalue themselves. The once great and proud Yankee tradition is dead. So are their obnoxious fans.
Every team including the Pirates has obnoxious fans.
Every team has classy fans.
It is the smug ones who really get my goat.
Stanton got the contract though. I don’t think it’s an albatross yet, because he can play. It’s just underwater.
So, Slim, games played is what determines how good he is then? Well, last year he played the whole season, soooo…..
Leave it to a Pirates fan to argue value though, just like they argue their team cannot afford to field a worthy product. Embarrassing….
Stanton may still be a good player but he has peaked and that contract has several more years left.
It is the Yankees though and they have so much money it will not affect them.They will still win 90 games.
Fortunately,not all Yankee fans are as smug as you are.
Nor as clueless.
Pirates should at least make Reynolds a similar offer to what Guardians offered Ramirez.. Ramirez took less than the market might bear in exchange for more upfront and more security.
Manny… and maybe the biggest factor- He wanted to stay in Cleveland.
Reynolds is a really solid player, but let’s pump the brakes here. Ramirez is a three time top-3 MVP finisher with a much longer track record of consistent performance. There’s no way the Bucs are going 5/$124M or 7/$141M for Reynolds, nor should they. I feel like they’re looking at 7/$115M max.
Seriously. Reynolds on equal footing as Ramirez is pretty comical.
[insert the one Pirates fan’s reply: you’ve clearly never seen a Pirates game before]
@Manny I thought you meant Manny Ramirez, I was like bro that was over 20 yrs ago hahah.
Admiral- Exactly.The guys who get the really big contracts are quite often guys in their twenties who came up in their very early twenties.Reynolds had two very good years and one bad one.Give him some track record before he gets elected to the HOF.
Pirates fans don’t watch pirates games…
Being a Pittsburgher, most people that go to games at PNC go for the experience and not the game itself. Amazing stadium, hoping the on field product turns the corner soon – BC is taking the right approach.
How do you know that?
Does this make him the highest paid player on the Pirates? He has to be in the Top 3 at least with this new deal. It’s such a shame that Pittsburgh can’t draw fans with that beautiful ballpark. If they could fill 80% of the seats on a regular basis, they would definitely spend more money on the team.
Hayes did just sign that 8 year deal and I believe that has a higher salary per year than what Reynolds just got.
Pittsburgh has shown they will support a competitive team. It’s on ownership to do their part.
Pittsburgh hasnt shown any such thing. I worked for the pirates from 2012-2014. They don’t support their team but I’d say for good reason. There’s a logical distrust in ownership but let’s not act like Yinzers are doing anything more than coming for fireworks,concerts, and Phillies games.
Ownership needs to show commitment but the fans do as well. A real catch 22
Beans- Do you really think that Pirate fans attended games during 2013,14,and 15 just to watch fireworks?
Did you live in Pittsburgh at that time? Did you survive dollar dog nights? You didn’t live those nights. You don’t know the what I went through.
It was just fireworks, hotdogs, and concerts.
Only stadium I’ve ever tried to get a hot dog and they said they were out of buns you would think nutting was running the concessions not Aramark
Beans, how many businesses expect customers to buy a bad product before making the product better? It’s on the team to put a competitive product on the field for fans to support.
Did you attend to watch the Pirates play baseball or to watch the fireworks?
Do people pay MLB ticket rates just to watch fireworks or to get dollar hotdogs?
Maybe other teams do not use nor need giveaway nights.Maybe the Pirates need them now.But they certainly drew a lot of people during that period because of the product on the field not for the giveaways.
@gbs – the Pirates have one of the most beautiful baseball fields in the entire league. That is a draw. It’s on the folks running the team to dish out the dollars. Pirates were pretty good in the early 2010s and I really enjoyed watching them. They can be successful. They’ve shown it, I’ve seen it.
I own a McCutchen pirates jersey even lol
I think that’s backwards. Pittsburgh will support a decent team.
Nutting should know the money he spends will be recouped. Instead he pockets the revenue sharing dough and folks attend Steelers, Penguins, and college games.
A little salty.
Why don’t you go back to bed and get up from the other side? Geesch!!
downvoter why do you feel the need to slam people for their comments? It’s a consistent pattern of angry attacks.
Halos- I upvote the Downvoter.I think that you mean well but you tend to be somewhat clueless regarding small market teams.
With all due respect to you and Arte you should be the last one to criticize another team,especially a small market one.
If it is any consolation,you have the company of plenty of clueless fans including Yinzers who will migrate to knocking another team once the Pirates are decent again.
I don’t see where halo is so wrong? Pittsburgh will support a winning team, I live here, I’ve witnessed it….
Another clueless Angels fan here. In Halo’s defense, he is a professional baseball writer. So, while he covers the Angels for a living, he does have some baseball knowledge beyond the borders of Anaheim.
Not saying he doesn’t have baseball knowledge.He is obviously not a common troll nor an ignoramus.Are all writers very good at it or even keeled though?
I do not think that he has any idea as to the vantage point of a small market team,
And how many teams does anyone,even writers,know a lot about?
For your information,the Pirates had achieved mediocrity after their three outstanding but unlucky years in the middle of the last decade.They were competitive for the first half of 2019, then the train ran off the tracks for a variety of reasons.For whatever good or bad Nutting has brought,he did bring back a brief period,and paid the requisite salaries,for a resurgence of a once proud franchise.
He is a businessman first and foremost,and he could have done a few things differently,but I think that he knew his predicament when the bottom fell outNH and Hurdle were quickly shown the door.They began a rebuild.Halos does not seem to understand what a rebuild is.
It was subsequently proven by the awful years in 2020 and 2021.Would you have signed expensive free agents who quite often either get hurt,get old,or underperform?For what,5 or 6 more games in the win column?
Halos is like a typical Yinzer writer that he has no clue as to where the money goes.There are a lot of costs other than player salaries.And he has certainly beefed up the staff in other areas.
Who is going to pay Hayes and Reynolds?Maybe with some of the proceeds that he has received?
This constant carping on Nutting gets old.He saved the Pittsburgh Pirates.Out of towners,especially from the left coast,or large size markets,may very not understand it.
Nutting has pluses and minuses like any other owner.It always entertains me when out of towners,unless they prove to be very knowledgeable,make harsh comments like Halos did.
I question Downvoter harshness,but he seems to also be getting quite tired of inane comments from writers or otherwise.
I hope that I have addressed your comment satisfactorily.
I actually like the Pirates and Pittsburgh. Lifelong Steelers fan with friends from Pittsburgh.
That’s a great sports city. Steelers sell out. Penguins draw well most years. Pitt football has ebbs and flows but sees support.
Yes, I thoroughly researched the revenue sharing arrangement this past year and it proves Nutting pockets tens of millions each year form the competitive balance pool. That should make Nutting the bad guy here. Not me.
Calling me a pro is a little generous. I do get paid a little bit and have sone contacts but it’s a side gig. I’m a full time mortgage guy.
I Ido not think that you are a bad guy Halos.
You laud the Pirates more than most Pittsburghers,
What you do not understand is that Nutting has been the butt of bad jokes on this site for several years,It is someone else’s turn,
The Prates are bad not because of him.Small market teams have ebbs and flows.The money hungry people running MLB are the real bad guys,All they care about is the top half of the teams by market size.
I do not doubt that he has been pocketing money for several years.But he has also put money in over the years to make it a better organization.As the Pirates get better he will be spending more.The two deals with Hayes and Reynolds are examples of this.
There are many clueless trolls on this site who drag it down.You are certainly not one of them.The proof will be in the pudding for Nutting as the Pirates get better.
With all due respect I would think that you would save your best for the Angels who have been one of the poorest run teams for a couple of decades.To have the two best full time players and not have a winning team goes beyond even the front office.
Mendoza- so you want Halos to comment on the state of the Angels in a Pirates article? Fans of other teams don’t get to have an opinion of the Pirates? Interesting.
Arte and Nutting are opposite sides of the same coin. Nutting spends as little as possible. Arte spends as foolishly and recklessly as a drunken sailor.
I rip Arte often, particularly about not having real baseball people make the baseball decisions.
I do honestly have a major issue with owners who do not spend revenue sharing money on players. Nutting has been the poster child for this. So I call him out for it.
It is my understanding that revenue sharing can be spent on anything that makes the organization better.
Does Nutting do that for all of it? I doubt it very much.
Will he spend that excess money that he has accumulated from it in the future? Maybe.
He spent money on salaries during the brief period when the Pirates were good.
Who should he have signed over the last three years just to spend the money?Give me some examples.
I think that if they do return to being a competitive team and he does not spend the excess revenue sharing money then you and every Pirates fan has a right to throw him under the bus like you do now.But you clearly do not yet understand how the small market teams have to operate in cycles.
Rocky-Are you putting words in my mouth?I think so.
There are several out of town posters who understand small market teams and are knowledgeable about the Pirates.They generally make good posts and are entertaining to read.
Halos has every right to make whatever comments he wants to make.
I have every right to call him out on them if I disagree with them.
It is his business and none of mine if he wants to comment on the Angels in the articles on them.I am not knowledgeable enough about them to make specific comments other than the general ones that I will occasionally make about other teams.
Fans of other teams can make whatever comments they want about other teams including the Pirates.
Just make sure that you are not a snowflake if you get responses that you may not like.
Now that is interesting.
Dorothy, the park was filled 80% on a regular basis when the Pirates fielded a strong, competitive team (2013-2015).
Pittsburgh fans flocked to PNC Park once we had a winning team.
Bob Nutting started slashing payroll…quality of talent began to diminish…and the fans took notice. The greater western Pennsylvania area is being held “hostage” by a cheap owner.
You have it backwards. If the organization put a winning, quality team BACK out on the field…the fans would return. The poor ownership has created much resentment & apathy toward the team.
14-Would the fans have been more hurt if they signed Cole to a contract worth $40M per year,raised ticket prices 50%,and finished with 5 more wins a year?
Per ESPN, 2015 is the only one of those years that they averaged at or above 80% filled, but they were pretty close the other two (73.5, 78.6 & 80.4)
The Pirates have never drawn particularly well,especially when they had the great teams.
They did not sell out one of the WS games in 1971.
However,I have never seen the Montreal like crowds( for their last couple of years) like the ones from 2021 when it was embarrassing.
It looked like a high school baseball game crowd.
The fans during the semi glory years of 2013,14,and 15 were pretty loud and plentiful.That is what I am hoping can come back to the Park and enjoy the games soon enough.
It is still a reasonable price to pay for first rate entertainment.
Even under the best circumstances, Pittsburgh wasn’t offering 40 mil per for anyone. But fans probably would have been okay had he been traded as a potential ace rather than a #4 starter.
The return was meh.Musgrove is a good pitcher,Moran filled a need while Hayes developed,and the other two were coin flips.NH may have traded Cole a year too soon but what would have happened if he goes down with TJ? NH gets nothing in return.
Cole had had two fine years starting off but had some injuries and pitched closer to a number four than an ace for his previous two years at the time of the trade.He also preferred to pitch for another team for whatever reasons.He was miffed that they did not give him more money after his first two good seasons.
Everyone knew his potential,especially inasmuch as he was the #1 pick in the whole draft in 2011.I was surprised that NH did not get more,but do you think that he would have if he could have?He had plenty of time to shop him.Cashman could have had him for Frazier and Andujar,and Chance Adams was part of the discussion.Where are they now?
It is always easy to criticize after the fact,but we do not really know what went on in NH discussions with other teams.
The return for Musgrove got the Pirates Bednar, Rodriguez, Head, Fellows and Cruz. Bednar is a stud reliever, Rodriguez and Head are looking like they could be pieces to the next winner in Pittsburgh, Fellows and Cruz have looked good in the minors. While the actual trade return for Cole was not outstanding, the return for one pf the pieces to the trade looks very good. People forget that Cole made no bones about his desire to hit FA. He would consider the Astros offers to extend. He was coming off an ugly year in Pittsburgh and no guarantee that he would have rebounded if the Pirates did not move him. If he does not, the return is less.
If they spent more money on the team, they would have no problem filling 80% of the seats.
Spending more does not equal better players. The top 15 teams in revenue can always outbid the bottom 15 teams in revenue. Spending more may only equal more expensive mediocre players..
Go-I asked a poster a while ago which free agents the Pirates should have signed.
I got crickets in return.
Many of these posters,even the ones from Pittsburgh,really have no clue.
At this time what is the point in signing them?They did add a few this offseason and won with Anderson last year.Why would they do it on a much larger scale- to win five more games?
At this point with as bad and as young as they are it would make no sense.
@dorothy the problem with filling up pnc park is because the product in the field is bad. pit is a blue collar city where a good chunk make a decent living but at the same time not a lot of disposable income so they spend wisely. i know pit has a very loyal and smart fan base and they go out and support there teams (steelers and pens are great examples) but it seems the pirates haven’t even tried to be competitive in the last 20 years. i love the cards but if they were doing what pit is doing and putting a bad product i’m not going to waste my money on it. until pit gets new ownership or puts a product worth watching that gives you hope that there about to turn the corner no one is going to show up. it’s cheaper to watch your team get blown out in your living room than go to downtown and pay for parking, a ticket, and concessions and your out anywhere from 75 to a 100 bucks
Dorothy- Brodie was asleep like Rip Van Winkle for the years 2013,14,and 15 when they had the cumulative second best record in MLB behind his Cardinals.
I would take whatever he says with a big grain of salt.
Then you probably figured that out already.
i do just felt like i needed to have pit back on this one. i have a lot of respect for pit even if there rivals, it’s a hard working city like stl and we both expect our sport teams to do the same. we’re realistic sport fans and know there is going to be some rough years but all we want as fans is to see ownership try and put together a good team to watch. 13~15 i was getting amped up because the pirates and cubs were turning things around and as a bb fan i was going “(bleep) yeah nlc is going to be good for a while and maybe mo will get off his a&@ and build a team to beat the upcoming pirates and cubs”. it’s a shame it didn’t happen now mil is the powerhouse stl is stuck in mediocrity and the cubs, pit, and reds are fighting for draft pos.
Young man you should be ashamed of yourself.
The Cardinals have one of the finest organizations in all of sports.
St Louis is not always bustling either but they support their team 100%.
You have won the most WS championships in NL history.
When I was young in the 1960’s the Pirates I believe had the third best all time NL record behind the Giants and the Dodgers.Now I would guess that it is the Cardinals.
You know far more than I do about your front office but in general they must be doing something right because even though they do not have the enormous $ amounts that the Yankees and Dodgers have they have won as many WS as both have into the almost distant past
That is something to be proud of.
you have a point mendoza i’ve been pretty spoiled these last 20 years, but here recently i’ve not been to happy with mo, it seems that he is ok with good enough and hasn’t really improve some of our weaknesses and it feels like we’re treading water. like i said i’ve been spoiled and the team has the money to go out and make moves that could put us into serious contention mostly i’m just getting tired of the low hanging fruit approach.
Every loyal fan has a right to his or her opinion,but we really do not know the constraints that are there.
I think that the Brewers will be going downhill as the cycle continues for small market teams.
That will leave the Cardinals as the last men standing in a mediocre division.
Good luck.
@mendoza i think your right the brew are a cycle type team that stays competitive, the cubs got there ring and that’s good enough for next 5+ years. unfortunately the reds and pirates suffer from bad ownership and until that changes there gonna be stuck in purgatory with flashes of good season. just what angers me about my birds is that the fo is content with just being slightly better and just get into the playoffs instead of really trying. if the rest of the nlc we’re trying to win like the ale maybe we would get of our butts and try to put a ws contending team together not a playoff team. i’ll get off my soapbox of my frustration with the birds like i said i’m spoiled and i except a higher standard of my birds because of what they have done over the last 20+ years.
Small market teams by nature have to go through cycles.The Pirates ‘ last good cycle was when the Cardinals were just slightly better every year.
Every fan of every good franchise wants to win every year.The salaries are so inflated now front offices need to be careful about payroll.
The Pirates are doing it the only way that could win for them.We shall see how well it works.
i wish i had your optimism mendoza but the way i look at it as an outsider is that nutt is just stringing you along. yes i’ll admit i’m frustrated with my birds but what pit ownership has done to you over the last 30 years makes me look like a crybaby. imo is just sad the pirates are a historic franchise and both of our fanbases should be complaining about what i’m complaining about with my birds.
Nutting is a businessman first and foremost but the previous two ownership groups were much worse.He gets a real bad rap,and much of it is unwarranted.People like yourself who do not know the situation in depth just follow the leader.At least you have an excuse in being 1000 miles away.Yinzers from Pittsburgh do not.
The rationale before was to trade the stars who were declining a year or two before they became free agents to get ML ready players.The GM for the most part did very well in this after he got his feet wet.Other small market teams have followed this credo with success.The problem with that front office was that they were mediocre in scouting and developing talent.That is a killer for a small market team who does not have the wherewithal to sign players like Arrenado and Goldy.
The bottom dropped out of a mediocre team in 2019 very quickly and Nutting fired the GM and manager after the season.Then yada yada yada we are here today again very bad for a quarter of a decade.The current GM has been building from scratch and now has one of the top farm systems in MLB.We shall see if the prospects become suspects.
What only small market team fans really understand is that good baseball for their teams comes in waves.Why would the Pirates sign a lot of expensive free agents?They generally go downhill,get complacent,get old,or get injured.And why would they just to get an awful team 5-10 more wins.
The proof of the pudding will be whether he spends the revenue sharing money that the league has been providing him.He spent money during the peak years.He has no other option than to do so if the Pirates climb back up the mountain with the young players that he now has.
@mendoza you make a great point and by no means am i saying that they need to go out and be one of the top spending teams. i feel how most teams should be built up is though the minors and then supplement your holes in fa it just feels like pit doesn’t even want to spend to even put a decent team on the field.
That is what most posters feel here,but you are talking about free agents,and it would be silly to spend on them now just to win a few more games.
@mendoza i feel you on that to me pit is in a catch 22, not good enough to get fa but at the same time seems like your not even trying. also my perspective on pit is of that someone who follows them because there in my division and other than a glimmer of hope the team has been abysmal and that’s a shame because the sports fans of pit deserve better.
You are probably like me in that you do not have much knowledge on minor league players.Several posters on here do and they say that the Pirates minor league player system is in the top three of MLB.I learn from other posters.I suggest that you look at the Pirates in two years and see what they are then.I think that they will be clearly better with more good young players on the way.And then they will start to spend on some decent mid level free agents to fill in the cracks.
@mendoza your spot on just like you i don’t even really know what my birds have in the pipeline other than what i hear on the radio much less other teams. as a bb fan i’m ashamed that i don’t know more than what i do but working in construction i work long hours and have to get up early and add in personal obligations doesn’t leave me a lot of time to keep up. i will say this i hope your right on pit that in the next 2~3 years there the team to look at. for 2 reasons 1 the city of pit deserves good bb and second i would love to see a hard nose playoff series between my birds and your bucs. hell who wouldn’t love to see 2 blue collar towns fight it out just to try advance to a ws
You are a good man but I think that the Pirates owe you guys one from 2013.
In any event,keep your smile and keep on truckin’!
@mendoza trust me i will, also here’s to a pens blues cup and better days for the pirates, also to future good bb talks as well
Distinctly easier to trade if they have that in mind.
I think extending Reynolds long term and trying to build a competitive team should be the goal. But it seems as if teams like Pitt and Baltimore prefer being cheap AAAA teams so I’d expect him to be traded.
You want the Orioles to try and contend in the AL East as currently constructed? They’ll continue stockpiling assets until they are ready imo. That division is unobtainable for them
Yeah, they could probably sign 4 of the top 10 free agents next offseason and still only hope for last in that division.
Not an insult but….
Hey, 4/5 teams are…and guess what? Its called COMPETITION. That’s what its supposed to be about….duh?
Typical of America these days….avoid adversity, take the easy way, come up with an excuse to not do what.you are supposed to do…
It.might be difficult, so I don’t try…
I’ll wait until it is easy…. that’s not strategy… that’s just copping out.
Saber- If you were the Orioles,who would you have signed this past off season and for how much money so that you could compete with not one,not two,not three,but four very good teams?
Many players are not extending into their FA years. Unless they get offered crazy money. I assume you are a Red Socks fan. 2 of your guys turned down extensions and were both 100 million apart.
Depends on if Reynolds wants to enter free agency at 31 and cash out. He and his agent can easily look at the springer and Bryant deals and say that is where I am at. Marte 4/76 with the Mets is the floor. I am hoping they extend Cruz when he is called up next month to a Eloy extension but front loaded
Cruz needs to spend more than 30 games in AAA and 3 in the ML before I will say that he is the next Babe Ruth.
Remember the Singleton contract with Houston,the Kingery contract with the Phillies,or Tabata with the Pirates?
I am hoping like you that he becomes a ML slugger but ML pitchers will have something to say about it.
30 games at AAA is too many. He can be the everyday DH today, learn defense from major league coaches and eventually transition to the outfield. The days of wasting 500ABs of a career in AAA are long gone. Whats really in AAA? Washed up players, fringe major league pitchers constantly getting recalled, and second tier prospects. Not saying Cruz is elite, but his bat is better right now than 7 of the 9 in the Pirates everyday lineup. This isn’t the 80s anymore – its 2022.
Did you see Hoy Park in right field today?
I really felt sorry for the guy.He looked like a Little Leaguer.
Do you think that Cruz is going to look like Roberto Clemente his first day on the job in right field?
Do you think Cruz wants to be a DH at 20 something years of age?
Do you think that his fine arm would be wasted at DH?
You really do not know how good his bat is until he faces ML pitching on a consistent basis.
If he is so good of a hitter he should hit 350 in AAA,especially if the competition is as bad as you say it is.
Nobody sent Pedro Alvarez down to learn first base, a far more important position than standing in the outfield. Did Tucker get sent down to learn the outfield last year? No, they let them make buffoons out of themselves on the major league level. Cruz’s bat is ML ready, and since there is now an everyday position for him – the DH… he can play everyday and transition to the field as the season progresses.
Once again, Pittsburgh is behind the times and making excuses for service-time manipulation… god forbid Cruz get a few ROY votes and the Pirates have to pay him an extra few thousand.
For being a bucs fan, you know little.
Tucker WAS sent down.
And newsflash: Cruz may look awesome right now but his strike outs are too high. And the league WILL punch back. Youll be the first one to then say he is “a bust”. You dont know player development or scouting. Stop acting like it.
Bucsfan- I think that you mean well,you just have poor judgement on this Cruz issue.
So what if they did do what you say and keep Cruz down for service time manipulation.Would the Pirates be the only team who does that?
He needs to learn a new position.He needs to do that in the minor leagues.
You cite Alvarez,which tells me that you know little.The Pirates wanted him to learn how to play first base after the season in I think Arizona..He refused.End of story.He was absolutely so awful the next year that SRod had to replace him as a starter in their only playoff game.Shame on him.Only then a DH,and did not last at that.A monumental waste 9f real talent.
Cruz strikes out too much.ML pitchers will figure him out quickly.
Read some of the other mature posters on here who know what they are talking about if you do not believe Downvoter or me.
There are generally two sides to every arguement and you must understand the other side before you can make informed opinions.
Tucker was sent down because his bat was missing baseballs, not to learn a new position…. look at the AAA box scores – he played all over. You can gerrymander your narrative all you want. Yeah, i know many teams service manipulate, blah blah blah. Its a tired argument. Pittsburgh is aiming for about 65 wins, and there’s little reason to get excited or even watch Bucs games. But when you see Contreras come out of the bullpen and toss 3 scoreless innings, its must-see tv for fans. As a fan, wouldn’t you like to see more younger players play? Nobody is blocking them.
Youre not a scout, and i’m not a scout, so to say so-and-so strikes out too much or pitchers will figure out Player X is incredibly pessimistic, and probably naive. Look at the stats…. everybody strikes out too much, led by the #5 hitter in the Yankees lineup making $16MM.
NY, maybe the dumbest, self contradicting comment all day. How about you refrain from topics to which you know nothing. If they were being cheap, idiot, why did they agree to spend more up front. Are you done now?
THE downvoter – before you try to call me out with zero facts to back up your argument you should check yourself. Orioles are spending 37 million on their payroll this year while the pirates are spending 47 million… I think it’s safe to say their owners could spend a bit more especially considering the terrible product they both been putting on the field the past 5 years… Now please, enlighten me how this is a “dumb” or “contradicting” statement…
So now you are changing the subject? You SAID he would be traded because the owner wants AAAA and to be cheap. No one said anything about total payroll. No one disputes payroll could be higher. The context of the story, and your statement as constructed, he will be traded anyhow, due to a cheap owner. Newsflash: if owner was cheap, why would they pay more, up front, for a player they are trading? Guaranteed incremental money adds less trade value if there are no free agent years attached. Second newsflash: Nutting is NOT involved in these decisions on arb years. Its well documented and cited. This is 100% Cherington, oh, and by the way, Cherington went as far as to say, in a radio interview, the filing for arbitration was a FO mistake and its been rectified. ….but you keep on managing Balt and Pit payroll from your little reality…..
Where did you get those numbers?
Cots has 26 man/cb tax 40 man
O’s: 43.3 / 64.5
Pirates: 52.7 / 71.6
Fangraphs Estimate
O’s: 64
Pirates: 57
New York-Maybe the Orioles,which you are clearly more knowledgeable about,but the Pirates have been terrible for only half that amount of time.
A quarter of a decade is bad enough.
@NYSoxfan. This site has a lot of The downvoter type who behave very differently in real life and so get all their childish angst out here.
@Astros. The AL division doesn’t get much less contested than this. Do you even remember the last time the Yankees were an under.500 team? It was 1992. The Red Sox have been .500 or under five times since 1997 and one of those times was the shortened 2020 season
I was referring to the Orioles as they are currently constructed.
Salary cap myth- It also has a lot of large market fans who are cocky and self serving who think that they can project as to what posters are like in “ real life”.
How did the Cutch trade work out?
Is Judge going to sign?
Why should they sign expensive free agents when they have a bad team?
Just another clueless big market fan.
Probably the best for both sides. Reynolds can see the teams commitment to winning by the contract end and an extension is possible during it.
I don’t often agree w/Harold Reynolds on MLB Network, but he said something intriguing last night. He thinks the Bucs used this deal so they can shop Reynolds now. A lot of teams need CF. Reynolds is priced below market for two seasons. He would enter the FA market on the wrong side of 30 and the Pirates won’t be contending before then anyway.
Move him now, pile up a bunch of prospects who’ll be ready for The Show in 2023-4, let the contenders bid over who will pay him when he’s a FA.
Ink-That doesn’t make sense.You can still disagree with Harold Reynolds if you want.This deal now basically makes things easier for two years,which could be the remaining life of his Pirates career.No contentious arbitration arguments.
He would not be able to leave any team before four years anyway,and would want free agency unless the offer was stupendous and he really liked the team and city that he was playing in.
The Pirates could be in playoff contention even next year and probably for sure in 2024 if these young players live up to projections.They would need Reynolds at his best to do so.
If this is Harold Reynolds’ best example I can understand how you generally disagree with him.
And I doubt very much that they are related.
Have to give props to pittsburgh for keeping some talent. At least they’re trying.
Reynolds will be traded a year before free agency.He will be 31 when it starts an it will be his last chance at an enormous payday.
He is not going to make a hometown discount at that point.
It may very well not have anything to do with the Pirates.
At this point him and Hayes are the faces of the team.BC is asking for an enormous haul for him in trade,as he should,and that is what it will take in money for the Pirates to keep him.
That is assuming of course that his first and third years are representative and not his second year.
Good base to hopefully work toward a long term extension. Both sides were so far off in arbitration talks originally, so it’s nice to see them agree on something so they don’t have to go through arbitration. Now it’s time to give him the big extension. They aren’t trading him unless it’s for a king’s and queen’s ransom, something not many teams have, nor the ability or willingness to surrender.
The Pirates, so hot right now.
I totally read that in Mugatu’s voice.
Going by ke’bryan hayes’ deal there was no way Reynolds was signing such a team friendly extension. He’s gonna get traded and either hit free agency or get a far more market value extension by another club. And he’s smart to go this route. Hayes probably left $50M or more on the table with his extension and Reynolds is the more valuable of the two, so he would be doing himself a great disservice to have signed any kind of extension Pittsburgh was going to offer him.
Well, Olson had three years left and brought back 4 top 20 prospects from the Braves, so what’s the price for Reynolds? Three prospects?
San Diego seems like the obvious fit. Hassell plus two other low-minors top 20 prospects for two years of control? If the Pirates are in rebuild mode, who says no?
Olson is the starting point, and should only go up from there. Olson is as good of a hitter as Reynolds, and Reynolds plays the more premium position. If the Padres want him, it has to be Hassell and Abrams, possibly with one of Gore, Weathers, or Campusano. Don’t see why it wouldn’t include at least Hassell+Abrams when they asked the Marlins about Watson, Meyer, Sixto, and Cabrera, and the Mariners about Marte and J-Rod. If it was only Hassell and two low-minors prospects, they wouldn’t have backed out of trade talks and called the price “prohibitive”.
They aren’t asking for the moon. They’re asking for the entire solar system.
Agree Pirates say no without any thinking.
Tim,
Including this season, Reynolds is controlled for four years, not two.
No that can’t be true
Let’s gooooo this is actually showing, albeit minimal, signs of hope.
Yes, sir. I even own a throwback Pirates cap and hope to wear it again soon.
The naysayers are still negative towards the Pirates. I think this is one of the best moves they have done this season. I realize it’s 2 years, but anything is possible now. If Reynolds doesn’t get an extension next year, then he’s probably heading out of Pittsburgh next year. The ball is really in Reynolds court
I was against trading him completely, but im resigned to the fact it’s going to happen and actually ok with it. If he doesn’t want to agree to a long term with them, then he is probably a way to replenish the system and get some high end prospects
Reynolds signing probably puts it more on the pirates now. They’ve got two years to prove he should sign here. Prove they’re serious about putting a winning product on the field. If they do that, I’m sure he’d be more willing to sign a longer term contract. If they don’t he will ride out the two remaining arbitration years and sign elsewhere. Of course they’d trade him before that, but you get my point.
@JM412 that also gives Reynolds the ball within two years. I think it’s more on Reynolds than anything. If the Pirates (and they will within that time line) are competitive, it’s up to him if he stays or goes. I think he goes to LA if free agent. He will be 30+ years old and he’d probably get what he makes the next few years. I think he’ll be around Nelson Cruz (in his early 30s) contract signing. Cruz is a DH and Reynolds will probably switch to the corner outfield by that time. It won’t hurt his stock much, but does his offense regress and that causes other teams to hinder his stock?
You are never going to please the yinzers…just like with the tragic death of Haskins…all the comments were..it’s a sad day for Steelers nation. How about condolences for the young man’s family and friends. .. people need to get a reality check on life
There is always going to be a toxic, self-projecting contigent in any anonymous open forum unfortunately. RIP Haskins.
Yea, condolences from us on a meaningless comment board that the family will never see is certainly a missed opportunity… people need to get a reality check on their idiocy.
It will be interesting to see if the Bucs can extend him beyond his free agency years or if they would be willing to meet his price once he gets to free agency. I doubt it and still feel he is likely to be moved at some point. It’s one thing to extend Ke’Bryan but Reynolds is a better player. Plus, some of it has to do with whether or not the player wants to sign early or bet on himself.
I think it really depends on if Reynolds wants to since they offered him an extension in 2021 and he turned it down. I have to believe with Hayes contract that the Pirates ownership at least has an idea that they need to spend on the right players.
Nice deal all around. Reynolds now has financial security, both avoid a hearing.
I’d really like to see the Pirates be good again.
PIRATES/SPIDERS is going to happen one day. Both teams will lose the series.
48-You look at the glass all empty.
They would end up in tie if Bud Selig has his way.
Avoids an embarrassing arbitration hearing over 600k lmao. Still would expect him to be traded by next opening day, likely in the off-season. They want to make sure the bad PR moves happen when no one is watching. He doesn’t really line up with the window if he’s going to bolt the first year after it opens.
No it means he is here through the next 3 seasons in 25 if an extension can’t be reached they will trade him like Marte and Andrew
that would be dumb
he will be worth not so much for a year of control
He has 4 years of control left. All they did was extend him for the first 2 years.
4 years. 4 years. 4 years.
Big daddy said trade him before 25 season. I was saying one year of control at that time. Anyways, that won’t happen because the team should be competing for a playoff spot at the very least by then and his value won’t be as high. I do think he could still be dealt this off-season but he will be gone for sure before the 2024 season if an extension isn’t reached. All this deal did today was make sure nothing happens during this season.
We got peguro and a pitcher named Malone with trading Marte to Arizona with one year of control
Pretty light.
Not really otc had him at 4.5 million so if you double it for 23 that is 9 million so it’s fair
Had four years of arbitration to go through. If he wins a MVP this year, he may have left a million or two on the table for the next but this gives Reynolds security and peace of mind (w/o worrying about an arb hearing) to… you know… go out and win an MVP.
Tigers should pull out all stops to trade for him. They need a legit CF badly. They have plenty of young arms to offer, plus Baddoo.
Another fantastic team-friendly contract. Two biggest stars signed. Don’t have to think about it again until early 2024. Let’s Go Bucs!
I’m the last one who believes the Bucs should extend this “rebuild”; instead, they should try to “build” around him.
But I admit that Hassell, Abrams and Gore could make me change my mind.
And they will draw if they ever come out of this tank. Nutting hopefully has learned that fans won’t come, even if the ballpark is in another universe than the rest (which PNC is.) NOW he has to realize that perpetual non-contention will turn Pittsburgh into Tampa Bay North; when you finally DO get better, the horse isn’t just out of the barn, it’s dead.
The Padres are not trading those three to any team for anyone. If they were willing to do that they already would have dumped Hosmer on someone.
Oh I agree. But it would take that kind of package.
Great deal for both. Reminds me of Ohtani’s two year extension. Very reasonable protection for both sides.
I don’t understand either the angst over this deal, or the urgency to trade him away. They continue to have a monstrous ask whenever someone inquires about him, which they indeed should. Meanwhile, they either clean up, delay, or avoid future bad feelings by not having to discuss anything with him until the offseason of 2023-24. Meanwhile, unless absolutely blown away, they’ve got 4 years of control on a very good CF in the prime years of his career until he’s 30 years old and likely a corner OF on the slow downward side of his career. I would venture the Pirates only wanted two more years added to post arby time here and Reynolds’ camp likely viewed it as he’ll only have one more good contract left in him by the time he’s 30 and either they got the Bucs to pay him until he’s 34-35 or he rolls the dice as a 30 year old free agent. I don’t see anything questionable, misguided or nefarious from either side. by adding some distance between them and the fork in the road.
@ Karp62 – Well said.
Karp62 great to see you still around and great analysts. I always enjoyed your input on Bucs Dugout. It’s a shame what has happened to that site.
I think it really depends on if Reynolds wants to since they offered him an extension in 2021 and he turned it down. I have to believe with Hayes contract that the Pirates ownership at least has an idea that they need to spend on the right players.
They’re doing it right by front loading with Reynolds and Hayes. Leaves them flexibility 2 years down the road when Gonzalez, Davis etc hit the show. I really believe cherrington has the system beat, at least for a season or two before the rest of the league catches on
I will never forgive the Giants for trading him. I don’t care how 20/20 hindsight is.
He will be traded within the next year, Probably there is not a “NO TRADE CLAUSE”
Pirates heading into the right direction, they should hand the division’s cellar to the Reds this season.
Raul- I think that that is a possibility although in all honesty I can feel the Reds’ fans pain also.
That front office at least on the surface does not seem to have a consistent plan.
I have said multiple times over the last several months that I fully expect Reynolds to hit the FA market the first moment he is eligible to do so. he will be a FA after 2025. He will be heading into his age 31 season in 2026. Unless he receives a crazy large offer to extend into his FA years, he should not even think about signing an extension. This will be his one and only shot to cash in for the largest contract he will ever get. Every year he would wait after the 2025 season will only lessen his value. He and his agent both know this. He is going nowhere till at least after this season unless Cherrington gets the deal that he can’t refuse. He has already shown this with the ask he supposedly had for Reynolds this off season. Will still take a huge offer of prospects for any team to get him after 2022.
I wonder when mlb.tv is going to update the roster online? It looks like Moran, Oliva, and Stallings are still eligible to play today for the Buccos. Lol