Bryan Reynolds requests trade from Pirates: Everything to know

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds has requested a trade, and the team has released a statement on their intentions.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have had an unfavorable history of late, not finishing a season above .500 since 2018. 2022 was their first season finishing above last place in the NL Central since then, so there’s no surprise that outfielder Bryan Reynolds is reportedly requesting a trade.

The Pirates expressed their disappointment in the request, and they seem to be set on keeping him around.

Reynolds has had a decent run in Pittsburgh so far, slashing .281/.361/.481 for an OPS of .842. He’s certainly not the best player in the league, but he’s an All-Star under team control for three more years. That’s surely enough to catch the eyes of other teams in need of solid outfielders.

While Reynolds requesting a trade could make the Pirates consider it, they aren’t required to act upon it since he’s under club control through 2025.

Ultimately, they’re free to decide whether or not they’ll keep him around, and they seem set on doing so. If the Bucs keep him until free agency, which seems to be a likely scenario, that could work in their favor.

Keeping Bryan Reynolds until free agency may work in the Pirates’ favor

Reynolds hasn’t produced consistent results of late.

For example, in the shortened 2020 season, he slashed an extremely low .189/.275/.357 for an OPS of .632. In 2021, he bumped his performance way up to .302/.390/.522 for an OPS of .912. This past season, his numbers went down to a slightly above-average .262/.345/.461 for an OPS of .806.

Losing Reynolds in the end wouldn’t be ideal, but they’re at least likely to get a few good seasons out of him that could help push their roster development. At worst, they’ll trade him away for a package of prospects who better fit their timeline.