The Red Sox are the latest club to show interest in Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds, The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier writes. Reynolds is one of a few names on the trade radar for the Sox early in the offseason, as Speier reports that the Red Sox have looked into the Diamondbacks’ group of left-handed hitting outfielders, and Boston is also expected to again check in with the Athletics about catcher Sean Murphy.
Public defensive metrics were down (-3.2 UZR/150, -7 Outs Above Average, -14 Defensive Runs Saved) on Reynolds’ work in center field in 2022, yet with Enrique Hernandez perhaps lined up anyway as Boston’s top center field choice, the Sox could have an eye on moving Reynolds into a corner outfield spot at Fenway. His bat should play anywhere, as Reynolds hit .262/.345/.461 with 27 homers over 614 plate appearances with the Pirates last season. With the exception of the shortened 2020 season, Reynolds has been a decidedly above-average bat in his four years in the majors, even if his center field defense has been more of a mixed bag.
Adding Reynolds would be an ideal solution for a Red Sox team looking for more power in general, and with a specific need in the outfield. Hernandez, Alex Verdugo, and journeyman Rob Refsnyder line up as the current starting outfield, with unproven prospect Jarren Duran and a few utility options as depth. If Reynolds was obtained for a corner outfield spot, Refsnyder would likely be pushed to a bench spot; if Reynolds still played center field, the versatile Hernandez might be see more work at second base. Since Verdugo has also been floated as a potential trade candidate, however, a bigger outfield shake-up could be a possibility.
Corbin Carroll, Daulton Varsho, Alek Thomas, and Jake McCarthy are all left-handed bats primed for regular duty in Arizona, creating a bit of a surplus the D’Backs could use to fill other roster needs. Thomas and McCarthy are seen as the likeliest to be moved, though it isn’t known which names the Sox might have directly asked about. None of the quartet are as established as Reynolds, yet all have shown intriguing potential either as prospects or early in their Major League careers.
D’Backs general manager Mike Hazen has stated that his team would want MLB-ready talent for any of the outfielders, yet the asking price for an Arizona outfielder wouldn’t be as cumbersome as the Pirates’ demands for Reynolds, which are known to be enormous. It would only take one big offer to perhaps change the mind of Pirates GM Ben Cherington (who formerly ran Boston’s front office), and yet roughly half the teams in baseball have been linked to Reynolds over the last year-plus, with no movement on the trade front. By this point, several pundits have opined that Reynolds won’t be dealt, as the Pirates hope to return to contention before Reynolds hits free agency following the 2025 season.
Murphy is in something of a similar situation, as he is also arb-controlled through the 2025 campaign. While the A’s are in an earlier point in their latest rebuild and catching prospect Shea Langeliers is waiting in the wings, Oakland is under no direct pressure to move Murphy for anything less than a major trade package. Speier cites Brayan Bello as the type of top-tier, MLB-ready younger player the Athletics want as the headliner in a Murphy trade, though it isn’t clear if the A’s wanted Bello specifically in any earlier talks between the Red Sox and A’s prior to the trade deadline. If this was the case, that deal might be a no-go, as Speier writes that “Bello borders on untradeable” from Boston’s perspective.
Speaking of untouchable players, the Red Sox also inquired about Zac Gallen, but the Diamondbacks have told clubs that Gallen isn’t available. Pitching is another need on Boston’s winter shopping list, and Speier figures the Sox to be among the many suitors for Kodai Senga since they “were among many teams to scout him heavily” in Japan. The Mariners, Rangers, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Padres, Cubs, and Angels have already been linked to Senga’s market, with MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweeting earlier today about the Angels’ interest. Senga is free of his NPB commitments, so an interested Major League team can negotiate with him like any free agent, without the obstacle of the posting system.
Reynolds makes so much sense for the Red Sox or the Yankees, expecting him to cost a fortune though. Pittsburg should be able to get a nice haul for him.
And journeyman Rob Refsnyder line up as the current starting outfield, are you kidding? Refsnyder as a starting outfielder? Welcome to last place in 2023.
Yes, because it’s impossible for a team to add players over an offseason
I hope you have some suggestions to add, because it’s looking bleak right now
“Right now” is 4.5 months away from opening day.
We went from worst to first before and definitely have the money to achieve it.
pwndroia – It’s happened only twice in the history of the franchise …. and only one manager has done it, John Farrell.
Refsnyder is simply depth or injury protection. The team desperately needs power but Verdugo has been fine. it’s unfair to measure his value against Mookie but for those who do, also consider the financials. Verdugo is getting more expensive but for a team straddling the tax level, they would have likely already traded Devers had they somehow kept Mookie. The Sales deal considering his injuries has hamstrung the team more than anything else.
My point is that we aren’t far from a playoff spot if we add the right pieces.
The Sox in 23 need pitching the most. No way to define how close the team is to a playoff spot until the staff comes into focus. If Bloom makes immediate moves improving the staff, then hopefully other trades, signings and unexpected earlier than anticipated help from the minors could make this again a 90+ win team.
dewey – The Sox need a lot more than just pitching.
They need at least one stud OF’er, assuming Hernandez plays CF.
They need a SS, assuming Story plays 2B.
They need a stud 1B/DH, as Casas is obviously a question mark at this point and Hosmer is a longshot.
Based on their interest in Murphy, they need a catcher.
And if they can’t sign Devers, they will need a 3B.
That’s a lot of needs, which is to be expected when your starting DH & SS & RF and both catchers leave within the past few months.
In fact the only non-pitchers who are guaranteed to start next year, provided they aren’t traded, is Verdugo & Hernandez & Devers & Story. Five out of nine lineup spots are up for grabs.
My point is that we aren’t far from a playoff spot if we add the right pieces.
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I agree. “Ifs & Butts” and all, but if Sale & Eovaldi made 60 starts, we’d have probably made the playoffs this year.
I just meant it starts with pitching.
I don’t think we would have made it this year regardless. The drive wasn’t there.
Wait till I tell you who currently lines up to be in the Mets bullpen.
If they could get a nice haul he would have been or will be traded.
They could get a nice haul for Reynolds he’s a perennial all star on a cheap contract.
You and the Pirates have a different definition of a nice haul.
Ok
big offseason for boston
Not this year. They are going to reset their payroll and expect them to be big next off-season.
A team can have a big off-season without spending hundreds of millions.
The biggest winners of the offseason are usually the teams who spend the least amount of money
I suppose Beane wants Chris Sale and Rafael Devers and 3 Top Minor Leaguers for Murphy. Who I guess he thinks is Yady Molina, Buster Posey and Realmuto all wrapped up in one. Given his other delusional demands. Just Murphy’s arbitration salary will bankrupt the A’s. Good Luck.
Dude, noone wants Sale at this point. And why would the As even request Devers at this point in his life cycle. Might want to do some homework.
UnclueMike1526 doesnt have a single clue about MLB analysis.
He gave bad examples but his point was that Beane’s expectations are excessive.
and that is wrong. Beane got roasted for his Matt Chapman trade haul, and rightfully so, it was very light.
I am sure Beane got what he could for Chapman. Everyone knew Chapman was available. Beene took the best offer available. Chapman was coming off a bad year after hip surgery so obviously there was a high risk tag on Chapman. If he was traded 2 years prior than he was, Chapman would have commanded a huge haul.
A’s payroll last year was $54M and Sale is set to make $27M this year, with Devers projected for $17M.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess the A’s don’t want those two guys to make up 80% of their 2023 payroll…
2 Sheldon’s who don’t get sarcasm. Atta Boys!
It wasn’t very good sarcasm.
@Unclemike1526 Agree with Mets. Actually it wasn’t sarcasm at all. Sarcasm would have just named Devers and 3 top prospects. It wouldn’t have been funny whatsoever but it could be called sarcasm. Including a awful contract doesn’t make sense. I believe the others are right and you actually thought Sale had positive value. So instead of admitting your lack of baseball knowledge you double down and tell others they don’t get sarcasm when you don’t even know what sarcasm is. Just wondering is there anything your are knowledgeable about?
Sarcasm- like rain on your wedding day? No wait, that’s literally something else
Isn’t it sarcasm? Don’t you think?
I didn’t get a sarcasm angle there; it seemed to me that the message was that the A’s want the stars and the moon for Murphy, as if they overvalue him. By Sale & Devers, I hope you were using them as examples of great players that illustrate your point (altho Sale can’t be considered great right now). Still, I guess you don’t get value, because the dearth of talent on the catcher front combined with Murphy’s excellent defense and a hopeful second half to the 2022 season combine to make Murphy a VERY valuable trade piece.
It was bad examples so the sarcasm was hard to see. Had he said a certain first baseman and pitcher who got their first MLB taste in late 22, it would have been more obvious.
Sean Murphy is a gold glove turning 28 year old who has gotten better each year. How dumb do you think we are? Murphy is the 3rd best catcher in MLB behind Realmuto and Contreras, youre just crying your team doesnt have the chips to get him, like Bello? Lmao not even close.
Murphy is really good I like him the A’s are justified in asking an arm and a leg.
I just think Boston should not try and get him they just don’t really need him they have more pressing issues that need to be addressed.
On a side note I would rather have Murphy then Contreras all day long but I Adley Rutschman is now the second best catcher in baseball and will probably be the best after next year. He is the guy I would mortgage the farm over if he was available, which he isn’t, that guy is going to be special.
You don’t trade the bulk of your chips for a very good but not great catcher who will soon become expensive. While I like Murphy, he’s not HOF material (IMHO).
Murphy is a good player whom I like a lot but hardly worth you scoffing at Bello. Bello has the ceiling as a number 2 starter which is way more valuable than a defensive first catcher who hasn’t hit above .250 in his career. if Murphy truly is the third best cacher in the MLB that has more to do with how bad the position is vs. how good Murphy is.
I agree Acello I would not trade Bello for Murphy if I’m Bloom. It’s not really that big of need for Boston not at the expense of Bello.
Murphy already IS an all-star level catcher in his prime, which is 1000x more valuable than a prospect with the “ceiling of a number two starter” like, cmon you know better than this. Pitching prospects are so flimsy its insane to value them – didnt you guys learn anything from Anderson Espinoza?
Having a top 3 player at the position means you are winning games, it doesnt matter how “bad” your bizarre analysis thinks the talent pool is. It isn’t even true, btw, Murphy actually does put up the numbers and is getting better every game it feels like. Cal Raleigh and Adley just dropped this season too, there’s 10 very elite MLB players in the top 10, such an uninformed comment….
This whole trend of downtalking great MLB players because you think it will somehow lead to your GM trading him for nothing just has to stop, its insanity and just makes you look really bad at baseball analysis.
couple things. 1: Just because you think pitching prospects are flimsy doesn’t make that so. Nice straw man argument with Espinossa by the way.
2: you are completely overhyping Murphy to an unbelievably bewildering extent. I base my analysis on his stats over the course of his career and so far he has been a very good catcher not the second coming of Johnny Bench like you seem to think he is. He is has a career .232 BA ..326 OBP .755 OPs. Again good numbers for a catcher not great. There is much more of chance that Murphy has peaked during his age 27 and that is his high water mark from last year might be the best offensively you will see out of him.
3. you bring up having a top 3 player means winning games, in that case if Murphy is so good then why is Oakland so bad? by your inane logic If he’s as much of a difference maker as you seem to think Oakland should have been much better right? your logic is so faulty it’s laughable.
4. my comment about Murphy’s alleged ranking was hyperbole;. My larger point was that if you decide to rank him that highly (undeservingly I might add) you’re basically insulting guys like Adley who is superior to him.
What actually needs to stop is you wildly overvaluing your own player . it makes you look foolish and like you have no idea what you’re talking about. Again the way you are fanboying over him up you either work for him or are related to him.
Side note to be at an all star level you actual need to be selected an all star team. Until Murphy does that he isn’t at an all star level.
And I thought the pirates were a hodgepodge of nothingness
You must pay zero attention to mlb trades. Welcome to a excellent site that will keep you informed going forward.
My bad. Mind didn’t pick up on the eck comments. Now that’s sarcasm.
If you trade for Alek Thomas, are you getting a snake in the grass?
Why would Sale or Devers be on Beane’s radar? He would want prospects or controllable younger players.
Lol another Sheldon who doesn’t get obvious and hilariously funny sarcasm lol.
I don’t see the Pirates dealing Reynolds. He’s controllable for several more years and the Pirates are only a year or two away from being a contender for the pathetic NL Central title. He’s part of that plan.
The pirates aren’t contending any time soon. They are in constant sell off mode.
A year or 2 from contending means they have him for 1 or 2 contending years. He’s not a easy extension candidate. So it’s trade him or let him walk for nothing and hope a comp pick is still available.
I love these kinds of articles. They constantly target the good players bad teams and surmise they’ll just be given away. Then we get the usual flow of fans of big market teams getting giddy with the idea that hey, we can just send our trash in return. The Pirates won’t mind
Yep. It’s that most wonderful time of the year
A team is interested in Bryan Reynolds. WIERD….
Maybe Bloom should have just not traded Hunter Renfroe for nothing instead of giving up top prospects for Reynolds.
Sincerely, Pissed Off Red Sox Fan
He can get him for pretty cheap right now
Bingo! One of the dumbest moves ever.
I think somebody is going to give the Pirates a king’s ransom for Reynolds and then realize they traded for a reasonably productive corner outfielder. So much of his value is tied to his ability to play CF, yet the stats say he isn’t a great defender. At this age, he isn’t likely to get better, likely worse. Some team is eventually going to realize they could have played one of their current OFers in center, lived with the defensive shortcomings, and saved a pile of prospect capital.
Always looked solid to me but doesn’t have elite speed or make hr robbing catches. His bat will make up for that vs a glove mostly guy. Most teams want him, just don’t want to pay for 3 years.
I agree with you. I’m just saying once you get into the mindset of “bat will make up for the glove” teams might realize they already have a comparable player and they don’t need to trade the farm for Reynolds.
I think most teams want bat over glove in the outfield and like his glove better than websites do. He can definitely use more speed and his arm is awful except for one time he made a throw I would have said wasn’t possible for him. There wasn’t a 40 mph wind behind him, I have no idea how he did it. Adrenaline or 100 percent perfect form and momentum maybe.
I just think with the Pirates needing ticket sales and pr they want to trade him when they are closer to having a winning team and it won’t factor in as much. Good choice because I don’t think the return will be drastically less.
Don;
I’ve watched him play CF at times the past 2 years. He doesn’t cover much ground, doesn’t get great jumps or run the best routes to the ball, and his arm is both weak and inaccurate. When they do move him to LF there will be questions about his value there.
Pirates should have traded him after 2021.
The baseball media seems to be the ones pushing his value because he’s currently a CF and there aren’t others out there. This is as silly as the Mets saying they can play Marte in CF.
I figure it’s writers trying to get clicks. MLBTR just picks up the stories. Doesn’t mean they believe or endorse them.
DonOsbourne15 hours ago
I think somebody is going to give the Pirates a king’s ransom for Reynolds and then realize they traded for a reasonably productive corner outfielder.
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Wow, I didn’t think anyone in here was thinking along the same lines as me.
As always, it depends on price, but Reynolds would not be at the top of my list. You’d be getting 3 years of a good-hitting, but not great-hitting LFer, as he ages and becomes more expensive.
The article mentioned Thomas, who I doubt is available, but I’d much prefer Thomas over Reynolds.
Or, if not Thomas, I’d pick any decent FA and save the prospects,
I like Thomas too. He would be my choice if I were trading for a CFer. Austin Hays would be a cheaper option than either and probably at least as viable as Reynolds defensively.
The Sox should not trade Bello. They have plenty of other assets to move.
Then you arent getting Murphy, the A’s will get better offers for players that THEY actually need, yknow, the two-way street trades are??
Have fun watching him walk for nothing in 3 years i guess
Fletch, I want you in the All Star game and batting title contention next season! Not taking no for an answer either!
I’m pretty sure they’re keeping Bello.
Or the A’s could just pay the alleged best catcher in baseball $3.5 million in arbitration if they’re serious about building a winner one day. The league owes the poverty Brokeland A’s nothing. Have fun in Vegas.
The Red Sox don’t need Murphy. The number one thing a catcher needs to do is manage the pitching staff and play good defense offense is a bonus. McGwire and Wong are very solid defensively and pitchers seems to like to throw to them. The Red Sox have much more pressing needs then the prospect cost that Murphy is going to cost they should pass on Murphy and they absolutely should not trade Bello.
Price will be steep, just like it was at the trading deadline
The Pirates aren’t goong to trade Reynolds. Other than trading the Parrot so a team could use him as Thanksgiving Dinner, he’s one of the only trade chips.
The parrot is a human
What about the Pierogis?
The Red Sox legitimately don’t have the prospects to get Reynolds or any of the Diamondbacks Outfielders without either the other team selling low or the Red Sox foolishly emptying what little of the farm there is
The Sox have a top 10 farm system so there isn’t “a little there”.
Correct Bostons farm is much improved.
I just don’t think that Murphy is the guy to really go after not really a huge need imo.
I do think there will be some some trades this offseason from Bloom the Red Sox are going to have a 40 man problem without moving some guys.
If they aren’t top 10 they are in the 10-12 range..
RSox
Even if the Sox had the prospect capital, Dbacks GM Hazen has plainly stated that the Dbacks are NOT trading one of their 4 young OF for prospects.. Furthermore, what’s the point of even mentioning Zac Gallen’s name?
This article is merely a veiled attempt to write something/anything about the RSox. I totally agree with what Tiredolddude wrote above:
“I love these kinds of articles. They constantly target the good players bad teams and surmise they’ll just be given away. Then we get the usual flow of fans of big market teams getting giddy with the idea that hey, we can just send our trash in return.”
Refsnyder as their current starting outfielder? Oh Nellie; pass the Robitussin.
Absolutely agree Samuel, Pirates should have traded him after 21′.
They should have realized the time frame of having him under contract didnt matchup.
By the time they MIGHT MIGHT MIGHT compete, he will be on his way out and on the wrong side of 30. I thought this was obvious but I guess not.
They listened to offers and teams weren’t willing to part with their elite prospects. I am sure Pittsburgh fans would have been pleased to hear Reynolds has been traded to Seattle. We weren’t able to get Julio or a elite pitching prospect but we did get 2 a ball kids who currently play ss but not sure they are going to be able to stick there.
I expect St. Louis to make a big push for Murphy (Nolan Gorman/Liberatore/etc), but if the price is too exorbitant, pivot to a Toronto catcher or Vasquez/Navarez and the like. I do NOT think they’ll go after W. Contreras as has been often speculated in the media; going from Yadi to a bat only catcher with poor game-calling skills doesn’t seem likely for a team that puts emphasis on defense, and the qualifying offer makes it even less likely..
When someone says to you “touch grass, dude” are they referring to the fact your lawn needs to be mowed ?
Trade Devers. Now. Today. You aren’t going to sign him and a team will get at least a full season out of him. And if they’re looking to trade prospects for players like Reynolds, why groom the prospects to begin with? Doesn’t that just admit that Dombrowski had the right idea all along?
Not really. Teams make trades all the time to bolster their team. Dombrowski often overpaid both in terms of prospects and money.
Boston doesn’t have the farm system to get Reynolds…barring a trade of Mayer or Bello. Pirates have a couple Nick Yorkes and Casas alone won’t get it done. Yankees are much better fit.
Any Pirates/Red Sox trade discussions better start with Triston Casas, Alex Verdugo, and Bryan Mata.
Sox ain’t trading any other one of these guys never mind all 3 for Reynolds!
If you’re looking for a catcher, Gabe Moreno is your man, Blue Jays catcher, incredibly athletic, behind Christian Kirk and Danny Jenson, good player
Murphy for Bello LMAO who writes this stuff
Reynolds value dropped in 2022.. Extend him now or trade him if he rebounds in 2023 at the break. IF someone is willing to give up top prospect(s) for him.