Should Rangers Trade For Bryan Reynolds?
If the Texas Rangers really are one of the top remaining suitors for Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds, the cost to acquire him will be significant, reports the New York Post.
The Post reported that the Pirates are looking for a “Juan Soto-like” payoff for the young outfielder.
Soto, who was traded from Washington to San Diego before last season’s trade deadline, netted the Nationals five of the Padres’ top prospects.
The Pirates are believed to be looking for three or four top prospects in any deal for Reynolds. MLB.com reported that the Pirates are looking for “high-upside pitching prospects.”
That cost might be too steep for the Rangers, who are looking for help in left field and have acquired four veteran pitchers this offseason. Texas also has a minor-league system stacked with prospects, with Jack Leiter, Owen White and Kumar Rocker at the top.
Three of those veteran pitchers —Martín Pérez, Andrew Heaney and Jake Odorizzi — may not be with the Rangers past 2023. Odorizzi and Pérez are free agents after 2023, and Heaney has a team option after 2023. That could leave openings in the rotation for younger pitchers in 2024.
Reynolds has asked for a trade out of Pittsburgh. He tops most lists of bats that can be acquired by trade. He batted .262 with 27 home runs and 62 RBI last season.
What makes him most desirable is that he still has three years of team control before free agency. The Post reported that, in an effort to sign Reynolds long-term, they offered him $75 million for six years with no team options. But Reynolds’ agents reportedly originally wanted a deal closer to the $168 million, eight-year deal Matt Olson received in Atlanta.
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