The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed star outfielder Bryan Reynolds to an eight-year contract extension, per FanSided’s Robert Murray.
Amid the Pirates surprising start to the 2023 MLB season, a constant storyline has been whether the front office would pay up to keep arguably their best player, outfielder Bryan Reynolds.
Reynolds, who has been mentioned in trade rumors since last season (and perhaps even earlier), wanted to stay in Pittsburgh for the right contract. Pirates owner Bob Nutting, after some heated negotiations, finally relented.
BREAKING: Outfielder Bryan Reynolds and the Pittsburgh Pirates are in agreement on an eight-year, $106.75 million contract extension with a team option for 2031, according to sources familiar with the deal. It includes a form of no-trade protection.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) April 25, 2023
An initial sticking point was the no-trade clause Reynolds wanted in his deal. Reynolds, currently 28 years old, was acquired from the San Francisco Giants in the trade which sent Andrew McCutchen to San Francisco. Now, he and Cutch are teammates, and Reynolds can help usher in the next era of Pittsburgh baseball.
Bryan Reynolds contract: Breaking down Pirates deal
Bryan Reynolds contract offers him a significant raise after he demanded a trade this offseason amid the dispute. Reynolds had at least two years of arbitration remaining on his deal, and was scheduled to make just under $7 million this season.
As Robert Murray points out, Reynolds salary will go up in the years to come, but is at an affordable rate for the Bucs.
Reynolds’ deal is the richest deal in Pirates history and does not include an opt-out. Here’s a breakdown of the deal, per source:
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) April 25, 2023
$2M signing bonus
2023 $6.75M
2024 $10M
2025 $12M
2026 $14M
2027 $15M
2028 $15M
2029 $15M
2030 $15M
2031 team option for $20M ($2M buyout).
Reynolds deal is the first nine-figure contract in Pirates history. Pittsburgh is a team which notoriously is not frivolous on the free-agent market, or with keeping their own homegrown talent.
Outfielder Bryan Reynolds and the Pittsburgh Pirates are in agreement on an eight-year, $106.75 million contract that includes a club option and does not have an opt out, sources confirm to ESPN. Amid the Pirates' great start, they give out the largest contract in team history.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 25, 2023
Reynolds no-trade clause includes a six team no-trade list, which is the first time the Pirates have given out such a condition in franchise history.
Reynolds got a 6-team no-trade list. First no-trade of any sort Pirates gave since 2006.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 25, 2023
In the end, this feels like a win for the Pirates, who keep their best player under contract until 2031 at an affordable rate. The market will only go up from here, and if this Pittsburgh team really is for real, they’ll need an undistracted Reynolds at his best.