Even though he was recently put on the Injured List, Bryan Reynolds trade rumors 2022 continue to swarm. He’s just too good to continue wasting his talents with the ever-struggling Pittsburgh Pirates, and he seemed like a lock to be on the move at the start of the season.
Bryan Reynolds trade rumors 2022
There’s no denying that plenty of teams should be interested in an All-Star outfielder. Nonetheless, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports that the Pirates have already rejected appealing trade offers for him and star closer David Bednar:
“A lot of teams are interested in Reynolds and Bednar. In Reynolds’ case, it’s been that way for months,” Biertempfel reported. “The Pirates already have rebuffed tempting offers for both players, sources told The Athletic, and it appears unlikely Reynolds or Bednar will be traded during this season. Check this space again in late July 2023.”
But Reynolds and the Pirates have gone back and forth in the past. Even if he agreed to sign a two-year contract extension, the feeling around the league is that he’ll eventually request to be traded to a team that can actually contend.
Notably, the Pirates would only consider trading their star player for an appealing offer. Several teams have the assets to try and make a deal, but not many of them will be willing to give up multiple prospects at this point.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the only five teams that not only need Bryan Reynolds but could also be aggressive enough to meet Pittsburgh’s steep price for his services.
Padres
Most Bryan Reynolds trade ideas from before the season included the San Diego Padres. They were in the market for outfield depth and wanted to keep up with the Los Angeles Dodgers at the top of the division, thus making him an obvious choice.
Jurickson Profar is having a career-best year offensively, but some believe that’s just not sustainable. Trent Grisham, on the other hand, is an outstanding defender but an offensive non-factor. Also, Wil Myers can’t be trusted to stay healthy.
The Padres have managed to get by without Fernando Tatis Jr., mostly thanks to Manny Machado‘s outstanding season. But they need more firepower if they want to make a splash out of the National League West, even when Tatis comes back.
Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies have one of the best outfields in all baseball, when healthy. But NL MVP Bryce Harper isn’t going to be back for quite a while, and they need to add more firepower if they intend to straighten the ship in the post-Joe Girardi era.
Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos are elite at what they do, but the same can’t be said of Odubel Herrera, who’s been a major offensive liability and not much of a defensive factor, either. Adding Reynolds, who’s under team control under 2026, would give them a big boost.
They could rotate Schwarber, Harper, and Reynolds at the DH spot to keep all of them fresh and healthy. They don’t have a strong farm system, so meeting the Pirates’ demands could be complicated for them, but he’s still worth a shot.
Mariners
The Seattle Mariners targeted Bryan Reynolds in the offseason when most people thought he wouldn’t agree to an extension with the Pirates. So, there’s no reason to think they won’t reignite that interest now that they’re fighting for a Wild Card spot.
The Mariners shocked the world last season by being lowkey competitive and have only gotten better this year. They boast one of the best starting rotations in the Majors and their young, up-and-coming offense has been steady for most of the season.
It’s also worth noting that the Mariners have plenty of elite prospects that could sweeten any potential deal with the Buccos, with the sole exception of Julio Rodriguez. Moreover, they have enough financial flexibility to make room for Reynolds’ contract.
Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox made plenty of moves in the offseason to bolster their starting rotation. They got off to a slow start to the season before entering a hot streak, and they could still finish the year strong now that Chris Sale is finally back from the Injured List.
But they still need to get more offensive production from their outfield. Also, some believe Chaim Bloom is getting ready to swing for the fences and land a star just in case they lose Xander Bogaerts, who can opt out of the final year of his contract.
The Red Sox were tied with an Andrew Benintendi reunion, meaning they’re looking to add more depth in the outfield. They have the money and the prospects to make a deal work if they’re desperate enough to make a splash by the deadline.
Yankees
The New York Yankees are linked to all the best players available at the 2022 trade deadline, Bryan Reynolds included. This shouldn’t come as a surprise given the fact that they reportedly reached out to the Pirates about him in the offseason.
Joey Gallo has been one of the few weak spots for Aaron Boone‘s team this season. They want to get rid of him and his countless strikeouts, and there’s no doubt that Reynolds would be a massive upgrade over both him and Aaron Hicks.
Also, the Pirates shouldn’t be interested in top SS prospect Anthony Volpe with Oneil Cruz already in their ranks. The Yankees are reportedly willing to part ways with every prospect besides Volpe, so they could be the most aggressive team in trade talks for Reynolds.
Discussion about this post