The Pirates have put an end to the Bryan Reynolds trade/extension saga, announcing on Wednesday that they’ve signed the star outfielder through the 2030 season. The seven-year extension reportedly guarantees Reynolds $100MM in new money on top of the $6.75MM he was already earning in 2023, and it also contains a club option for the 2031 campaign. Reynolds, a CAA client, does not have an opt-out provision but does have a limited six-team no-trade clause. The extension is the largest contract in Pirates franchise history.
Reynolds’ $6.75MM salary for the current season will reportedly remain unchanged, but he’ll now receive a $2MM signing bonus as well. Reynolds will then earn salaries of $10MM in 2024, $12MM in 2025, $14MM in 2026 and $15MM per year from 2027-30. The option is valued at $20MM and contains a $2MM buyout. In all, Reynolds is guaranteed seven years and $100MM on top of the $6.75MM he’d already been earning in 2023. The contract buys out his final two seasons of arbitration and locks in five free-agent seasons with an option for a sixth.
One of two players the Pirates acquired in the trade sending the since re-signed Andrew McCutchen to the Giants, Reynolds hit the ground running with the Bucs in his MLB debut back in 2017, batting .314/.377/.503 with 16 home runs in 546 plate appearances. With the exception of a dreadful showing in a 55-game sample during the shortened 2020 season, Reynolds has continued to hit at a well above-average level. He’s a career .282/.359/.484 hitter in just over 2100 plate appearances, including a .294/.319/.553 start in 2023. By measure of wRC+, he’s been 26% better than a league-average hitter in his career to date.
Moving forward, it seems the Bucs will trot Reynolds out as their primary left fielder, rather than his customary center field. That’s been the case for the majority of the 2023 season, when Reynolds has logged just 35 innings in center compared to 144 innings in left field. Defensive metrics have increasingly soured on Reynolds’ center field work in recent years, and the Pirates have been playing Jack Suwinski and Ji Hwan Bae there more frequently in 2023. The early returns on Reynolds’ glovework have been sharp; he’s posted positive ratings in Defensive Runs Saved (3), Ultimate Zone Rating (0.5) and Outs Above Average (1) during his limited work.
The extension for Reynolds marks the culmination of multiple years of trade rumors and a months-long sequence of extension drama that at one point led the outfielder to request a trade. That trade request was not a steadfast declaration that he wanted out of Pittsburgh — clearly — but rather was borne of the fact that Reynolds was seeking a long-term deal that Pirates ownership then appeared simply unwilling to put forth. Mackey reported in February that the Pirates had made a six-year, $76MM offer to Reynolds prior to that trade request; his camp then sought $50-60MM more.
An agreement on these same financial terms was reportedly reached back in spring training, but there were other hold-ups in the deal. At that point, Reynolds had been pushing for an opt-out clause to be included in the contract. It’s a bit surprising that he’d drop that request without the Pirates coming up on their offer, though the inclusion of some limited no-trade protection perhaps provided some extra incentive for Reynolds. Furthermore, the team’s stunning 16-7 start to the season likely only serves to further Reynolds’ belief that the club is headed in the right direction.
All that said, it’s hard not to like this deal for the Pirates. Reynolds’ prior two-year, $13.5MM deal that bought out his first two arbitration seasons effectively signaled that the Bucs viewed his 2022 and 2023 seasons somewhere in the vicinity of $4.5MM and $9MM, respectively. As a Super Two player, he’d have gone through arbitration twice more, earning a pair of raises in the process. It’s not at all unreasonable to think that Reynolds could’ve topped $13MM in 2024 and $17MM in 2025. His final two arb seasons alone were worth close to $30MM (likely a bit more), meaning the five free-agent years on this contract are being valued at roughly $14MM apiece.
Andrew Benintendi just inked a five-year, $75MM deal in free agency, and while he was two years younger than Reynolds would be by the time he’d have reached the market, Reynolds is a decidedly better hitter. The seven years and $100MM in new money secured by Reynolds on this deal is an exact match for the guaranteed portion of Byron Buxton’s deal with the Twins, but Reynolds doesn’t come with any of the durability concerns that have plagued Buxton throughout his career — nor does his contract contain the roughly $8MM of annual incentives in that Buxton deal. Even Corbin Carroll, who’s repped by the same agency as Reynolds and entered the season with just 32 MLB games under his belt, landed an eight-year, $111MM extension from the D-backs during spring training.
Every player’s motivation is quite different, of course, and Reynolds has made clear in the past that his eventual hope was to land a long-term deal that allowed him to remain in Pittsburgh for the long term. He’s done just that, securing a nine-figure guarantee in the process. The extension doesn’t necessarily stack up with what players of his caliber might expect to earn at this juncture of their careers, but Reynolds was clearly willing to compromise in order to remain with the teammates, coaching staff and city he’s come to view as home.
Market context notwithstanding, Reynolds now firmly joins Ke’Bryan Hayes as a foundational piece for the Pirates. The two are the only players signed to a guaranteed deal beyond the current season, and both are under team control through at least 2030. Hayes’ $70MM extension runs through the 2029 season, and Pittsburgh holds a team option for that 2030 season — the final guaranteed year of Reynolds’ new deal.
Reynolds and Hayes will account for $17MM in guaranteed salary next year and for $23MM as far out as the 2029 season. Even for a perennial payroll cellar-dweller like the Pirates, that should leave them with ample room to supplement the roster — particularly if they’re able to convince some of their up-and-coming young talent to agree to club-friendly deals in the same vein as the current pair of extensions they’ve brokered. Talents such as Oneil Cruz and Roansy Contreras are still quite early in their respective MLB careers, and while both Mitch Keller (three-plus years of MLB service) and David Bednar (two-plus) are further along, both are potential candidates as well. Prospects like Endy Rodriguez, Henry Davis, Quinn Priester and Luis Ortiz could all enter the conversation as they get their feet wet in the Majors as well.
For now, Pirates fans have clear cause to celebrate. The team has sprinted out to a surprising first-place start, and after years of watching the team’s best players inevitably head elsewhere via trade, they can now feel secure that Reynolds will be in black and gold for the foreseeable future.
Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette first reported the agreement and the terms (Twitter links). Robert Murray of FanSided reported the annual breakdown. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com tweeted that Reynolds can block trades to six teams.
Great, this is good for the game and for Pittsburgh fans.
hahaha Captain Judge must be crying since he now realizes that his precious Yanks won’t have Reynolds
hahahaha
How will Reynolds help Judge hit at night under the bright lights?
@DMC Please no logic while a Pirates fan is doing the sad cry /laugh
reading comprehension not your thing, paddy?
@NotTheMan 3-Didn’t you say he didn’t want to play in NY. I guess you we’re right. Now just continue to tuck him in at night for the next 8 years or so or until he gets smart and finally opts out. Not crying either. Congratulations!
I’m 68, his contact might outlive me, Captain
@TheMan 3- Ok you got almost 20 years on me, and I hope the contract doesn’t out live you. It’s nice to see your favorite team sign it’s Franchise Player truthfully Congratulations I really didn’t think it was going to happen. New York isn’t for everybody.
Well what are the 6 teams that he has a no-trade clause to? Those are the 6 that I’d say he can’t end up on. I’m skeptical of the Pirates, I think the additional years of control will now allow them to flip Reynolds whenever they suck the big one again. If they are out of contention near the trade deadline, a team like Baltimore or even the Yankees could come calling still.
Wishful thinking, kingbum
He doesn’t want to play in any major metropolitan cities and that includes the Yankees
Pirates beating the dodgers tonight and some people keep bashing the pirates. Your skeptical….I just think that you are a clueless troll.
Pirates are for real…I’m predicting 87 wins.
Dodgers 8 Pirates 7 – pirates gave up a 5 run lead.
I still question some of Shelton’s decisions. Castro swings and misses at virtually every pitch, his fielding is suspect and brings nothing to the game. Bae, playing center field when his natural position is shortstop and 2nd base also boggles my mind
Mathias, who at least chooses better pitches to swing at sits on the bench while Castro is busy striking out.
CSN either needs to return to AAA or he needs some playing time.
Finally, the coaching staff needs to teach these players how to effectively bunt. The only player that does is Hedges
The Pirates won’t even have a winning record. Book it!
no one is advocating that they will, TMQ, but the fact that they have made significant progress is what we’re saying
Only trolls make that argument
You never know. Sometimes the no trade list is about getting more money should a trade take place. Not saying that’s the case here. Just mentioning it. As for the deal, it seems like Reynolds got security but the $$ was less than anticipated. Also what about the work of Sherington now? I’m not his greatest fan but it shows what can happen if there’s patience. I still say give Bloom until 24 to then consider his body of work.
It certainly appears so. Ooooh the evidence.
@TheMan3 umm, they taught how to bunt in little league. Some can do it, some can’t. Plus this is modern day baseball. Everyone swings upward, trying to hit 100 hrs in a season.
@tmq troll on my trolling hero
It’s still generational money
I’d de=certify Reynolds” agent if I were the MLBPA.. What a ridiculous deal from the player’s perspective.. Here are just some of the players with a higher AAV:: Bregman, Springer, Bryant, Yelich, Corbin, Baez, Marte,, Story, Pedersen, Castellanos, Jose Abreu, Yasmani Grandal, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Conforto, Yoan Moncada…. and that doesn’t include the chronically injured like Strasburg, Even Charlie Blackmon is at $15.3M and he’s ranked 80th!!!
spotrac.com/mlb/rankings/
did it ever occur to you that maybe Reynolds personally agreed to this contract and was satisfied with the amount?
Not everyone is Judge who plays games with both the Giants and Yankees to get his money
Lol at bringing up,a bunch of one year deals
Since when is 87 wins worth anything? 87 Wins will not get you a playoff spot in the NL IMO. Maybe you might compete for the last wild card spot….whoopee s***. Dodgers, Padres, Braves, Mets, Phillies, and Brewers will all be above that 87 total. Ya might compete with St.Louis and Miami….
Of course, Reynolds has to sign it himself. That’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m referring more specifically to the fact that Reynolds is certainly over the past couple seasons one of the Top 75 players in MLB by any measure.
Why do you keep bringing up Judge? He was coming off one of the best statistical seasons in baseball history and certainly had every right to work the system after NYY lowballed him on the extension. You don’t put an item on Ebay and then take the lowest bid!
Judge played the Giants in order to get the Yankees to give him a better deal
Did you attend a school for the reading comprehension test by chance!
You used to be The Man until that comment.
Reynolds must really like Pittsburg and the direction the team is going in. Based on his performance the last couple of seasons, he feels more like an $18M-$20M per year player on the open market. The AAV of this deal falls well short of that but it does lock him up for 7+ years and a guaranteed $100M. Glad to see he wasn’t driven by maximizing his annual salary like a lot of players and agents are. Let’s just hope that Nutting is willing to invest in their other core players and will eventually bring the team payroll up into the Top 15ish of payroll commitments. If Nutting is willing to do that, Pittsburgh has the young talent to grow into a consistent playoff caliber team through the end of this decade at least. Now the fans need to start showing up to more games as well so those revenues can be used to fund a playoff contender. Happy for Pittsburgh fans!
So the player is lauded for not pursuing the maximum dollars he could, which allows the owner to keep more money. What a screwed-up system.
No, it allows Nutting to spend more money on other players who can help bring them a championship. No different than what Tampa, Cleveland and to some extent, Atlanta are doing right now. I’m sure Reynolds wouldn’t have signed this deal without some sort of assurance that the Pirates would spend more money and build a competitive ball club. Next up, Oneil Cruz!
Your opinion. Sometimes a player actually likes where he’s playing and doesn’t play the Aaron Judge smokescreen pretending he’s going somewhere else when he knew all along where he wanted to play.
Could’ve he gotten more? He had limited leverage other than playing out his arb years. Now he’s financially set. If worrying about how much money Nutting has is a big concern of yours, you need to get out more.
And it is speculation he wasn’t trying to maximize his annual salary.
Most likely it is a risk/reward calculation. Take $106,750,000 guaranteed dollars now or hope you keep playing well and don’t get injured and make even more in a few years.
The fact it could help the team surround him with more talent to win is a bonus.
And can you expect this Pirates’ owner to actually SPEND that extra money on players?
Well you know what the team budget is, so do you as a player take up 20 or 30% of it and guarantee you suck or do you sacrifice on upside some and take the guarantee? At the end of the day players have families to consider too, it is not always all about the money. I will say this, this deal makes it easier to trade him later if it comes down to that in the future, which is another consideration.
Or the team could increase its budget.
Since when in Pittsburgh are they not on the bottom 10% in payroll? You know as a player ownership runs the club as a business and is cheap. It’s not the Mets or Dodgers here, I believe that MLB should split the clubs up by media market. One league has the big market clubs with the high payrolls and one be the small market clubs with small payrolls. Best 6 teams in each league advance to the playoffs. Top 2 teams of each league get a bye…..then you get a divisional round, league championships, and the winners of the leagues play each other in the World Series. Two-thirds of your regular season games are played within your league. That’s what I’d like to see them do.
I highly doubt there was any type of assurance. And regardless a assurance is useless and hardly something that’s guaranteed or enforceable. No matter how you look at is this is a cheap contract. Reynolds would’ve made more the next 2 years in arbitration FFS. He left over 50 million on the table easily
during an interview this past spring, Reynolds said he wanted to stay with the Pirates while believing management was turning the corner for progress
People always think it’s only about money while never performing any research beyond their ignorance
@kingbum that is probably the dumbest idea I ever heard. Big Market teams will always have the advantage, and it ONLY happens in baseball. NY or LA doesn’t do well in the NFL, NBA, or even NHL. While smaller market teams in the NFL, NBA, and NHL are staying competitive yearly. Small market clubs in baseball are doing what they have to do in order to keep competitive teams in the field. Look at the Rays and As, they strip down and back contending within 3-5 years after a strip down. Pittsburgh is falling into line with the small market teams like Rays and As. There are others like Twins, Indians, Marlins, and Royals. If you really think about it, most small market teams are in the AL and a few in the NL.
It works in Europe with soccer…….That’s exactly what the champion’s league does. What’s dumb is expecting a $75 million payroll compete with a $300 million…..It’s already a two-tiered league my proposal just makes it official.
@gbs it means the club has more money to invest in better players.
I imagine that Mitch Keller is on their extension radar
Cruz is out until August, they’ll probably wait to see how well he heals then hits before considering an extension
Anyone remember when Kendall got hurt?
He was never the same afterwards
Yes I think Keller will be next to be extended
He seems to like Pittsburgh and said all along he just wanted a contract that was fair to both him and team. He seems smart so he would know fair was the best he could do with a shrewd thrifty owner. He obviously didn’t want to risk 3 years for free agency. His agent pulled a awful negotiating move of a trade risk. Pirates ignored it. Ignored the horrible opt out demand that most teams cave to. I wouldn’t recommend Reynolds agent. Although it wouldn’t matter who his agent was. Seems that was the best you could get. I think the Pirates would have been fine with trading him or taking a comp pick.
Based off what he has done so far, this looks like a fair deal. While he may have gotten more on the market, that is based on him remaining healthy, and continuing to produce at least at the level of past performance. He’s likely only taking a small step back to secure this guarantee.
PITTSBURGH NOT PITTSBURG. YOU MORON
Yeah it doesn’t really look like Reynolds cared about getting more $. Probably another reason why teams wanted him to, he doesn’t seem like a “me type of player” like most of the athletes you see today. The Pirates definitely did well here by signing him to this most deserved extension for their Franchise Player. Good job!
My crystal ball says they’ll just trade him during the 2024 offseason after they realize he starts getting a real salary they have to pay.
Your crystal ball appears as cloudy as your post
There’s no reason they sign him at all considering he’d be a free agent in 2 years
It’s called a joke
s/ indicates sarcasm after a post
I didn’t see that coming.
A little winning goes a long ways
Whomever had B.Ryan Reynolds in their Deadpool of steeltown girl meeting their demise was sorely mistaken. Biggest signing since the Murtaugh administration. Hard not to feel anything but Sanguillen about their prospects for victory
YOUR a WeIrD & wAcKy DOOD, TRUMMPster!
They already agreed on $ and that is the #1 priority for both parties. Extension was likely.
We did it, Richardson!!!
IT’S A GREAT DAY TO BE A PIRATES FAN!
Now Reynolds should go buy Maggi dinner.
Pennsylvania has a very reasonable state taxes. That’s something also to take into account.
They do, but they also have local taxes paid to the municipality in which you live in addition to the state taxes. All states don’t operate that way, which I didn’t ever think about until I moved away from PA. All in all though, I still pay more to the state of Georgia than I did to the combined State of PA and City of Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh in general is a relatively low cost city for its size. Taxes aren’t insane and housing is cheaper than most comparable cities. Also fairly easy for Pgh sports stars to go about daily life without being harassed much. Most people in town just say a few quick words and maybe ask for a picture then go about their business.
Very underrated city. Love the Squirrel Hill neighborhood. I’m convinced Pittsburgh helped create Mr. Rogers.
you’re probably right about Mr Rogers and his relationship with the city and his hometown of Squirrel Hill RunDMC
I’ll bet very few viewers (and their parents) knew Mr. Rogers came from Pgh.
A recent movie starring Tom Hanks, “ A beautiful day in the neighborhood “ was centered around Squirrel Hill, WQED, the Pittsburgh based Public Broadcaster where Mr Rogers was filmed and the city of Pittsburgh
Yes, great film. Really enjoyed it. Also enjoyed that it was a film essentially about Mr. Rogers but he was more of a secondary character in his own biopic, rather telling his story by his impact on another.(Matthew Rhys’ Llyod Vogel). Good grief.
Happy for you.
Pittsburgh is a great sports city. It would be great to see the Pirates winning again.
They’re maniacs maniacs
YES!
That is a steal.
Big time statement by PIT. They remind me a bit of the M’s in 2021. Nice to see teams being built the right way from the ground up.
How is there a right or wrong way? Nothing wrong with big on free agency, from a fan standpoint that’s hella fun
You could argue that some of the same fans who loved the signing on day one are the same ones who will boo the guy mercilessly when he’s being overpaid relative to production and there’s several years left on the deal.
But no one will admit it or see the hypocrisy in doing it.
I don’t mean to say that the Mets are wrong for building their team with money; I was 13 when the M’s won 116 with a team of journeyman. The only homegrown guys in that lineup were Dan Wilson and Edgar. I don’t think we had any homegrown guys in the rotation, Gil Meche, Pinero maybe.
So yeah, shoot however you get those w’s, THATS the right way.
What I should have said, is it’s nice to see teams develop winning rosters through drafting and player development, and responsible spending.
SHOOST. DAN WILSON WAS NOT HOMEGROWN! Blasphemy by me. Sweet Lou brought him over from Cincy.
What? Humans failing to admit they’re wrong? Shocker!
njbirds: Jason Kendall
correct. drafted out of Minnesota. Got his autograph in the bullpen on opening day in single A years years ago. he was drafted by a reds.
It is way more fun to follow a guy through the minors, see that guy debut with your team, then lock him down for his career.
Not saying there’s a right or wrong way to build a team, but this one is the far more enjoyable one for most fans; like me.
Kind of but it doesn’t feel the same, I guess if you’re a fan of a big market team, you’re used to it. I get more enjoyment out of watching a group of guys play and grow together for years, and not just the top free agents/trade targets at each position. Yanks and Mets have homegrown guys too but I feel like the Padres are all big ticket players.
Sodom – If a team is run properly, it should never NEED to be built from the ground up.
That’s a fair argument as well. Teams like the Yankees and Sox (ok, let’s ignore the Carl Crawford/Adrian Gonzalez Bobby V year) always develop great talent, and always supplement that with pricey reinforcements. I think it’s a reasonable, sensible statement to say that’s the right way. Never fall too far. The more competitive you stay, the easier it is to attract good players.
Sodom – I was thinking the Braves and Astros both developed a constant pipeline of good prospects, and supplemented via trade and the occasional free agent signings. I think the Pirates would do well to emulate either of those two teams.
True in a perfect world, but we live in an imperfect world. Injuries, suspensions, etc. happen. Players fade unexpectedly, etc. What appears to be good decisions when made turn out not to be in hindsight.. In other words, life happens not according to your wishes. Well run teams mitigate the chances of needing a complete rebuild, but can never eliminate the possibility of a complete rebuild.
Amazing how a hot start makes everyone love a franchise that was called pathetic nonstop for years
Are they though? I’m not a Pirates fan no matter how hot they start or finish. I am for seeing a young stud getting his pay day.
I think this mostly shows how 30 mill invested in veteran presence can give teams a lot more than their numbers.
Is the right way collapsing for long stretches and not spending?
Glad they made a deal, adds certainty to the roster and gives fans hope that Pittsburgh will continue to keep the core they build.
He will be on Pirates for another 8 years. How many 5+ WAR seasons do you think he has in that time? One. Maybe 2? I think it’s a fair signing if the player wants security and not try for maximum dollars with maximum risk of losing out.
I look at a guy like Johnathan Lucroy as a cautionary tale. A career season at age 28 and looking like a $100M contract could be coming for him. Another strong season at age 30 and then right before free agency his career went sideways and he ends up with less than $30M in career earnings.
The counter to that would be that Lucroy was a catcher. That position takes a heavy toll on the body.
The counter to the counter would be Christian Yelich. Stud superstar at ages 26 and 27, but since then overpaid for his performance. After 2021 and 2022, would he have received a multiyear contract for $26m a year if he wasn’t already signed?
That still kind of supports my point. It doesn’t matter how other guys age. It only matters how they think Reynolds will age. Yelich sustained catastrophic injury. Maybe Reynolds will too or maybe he won’t. Time will tell.
Brian Reynolds got absolutely fleeced. Is his agent Lamar Jackson?
Hank – I think it’s more a case of Reynolds being overhyped because he’s a big fish in a little pond.
The dude put up an .807 OPS last year, it’s not like he’s an elite hitter and he sure as heck won’t ever be mistaken for a GG winner.
He’s a very solid player that got a contract he deserved.
That’s one perspective.
The other perspective, is that his annual will be $15 mill, he’s a $100 millionaire, his family is locked into the same city for 8 years, and the Pirates haven’t decimated the payroll to over pay him.
Slight underpay? Possibly, I’m ok with that and I think he obviously is too
Sodom – I agree, perhaps a slight underpay although the longterm security makes up for it.
I’m disagreeing only with those who think the extension was a major bargain.
Senga, Benintendi, Bell, Conforto, Pederson all signed deals with higher AAV than $15M, hovering around $20. . I would argue he left $15-25M on the table for the free agent years alone. I’m not a massive Reynolds fan but he’s arguably a better player than all those guys.
The difference being that the guys you mention were all FAs.
plus he’s on record of wanting to stay in Pittsburgh and not play in a major metropolitan city
Yeah but what about Bryan?
His and Acuna’s are the same contract. Except Acuna was younger and better and still is waaaaaay better. I think Bryan got a good payday and insurance. That’s what’s up.
I mean, at what point does a player say, “I’m getting a 100 million dollar deal and my team is still in a position to be competitive”? This seems entirely reasonable to me.
He didn’t have to sign this contract, no one put a gun to his head, Hank
You might see this as him being fleeced but my guess is he’s happy to have this behind him and that he’s equally happy to be playing in the city of his choice
I thought his agent did a horrible job but no other agent would have done better.
I would disagree. His agent got a notoriously cheap club to give his client a 100+ million contract over a potential 8 years, ensuring he gets to stay where he wanted to all along.
This is a cheap contract. A no brainer. They would hand out another to Mitch Keller right now.
This is their first ever 100 million dollar deal. I agree that it is *relatively* cheap, but it’s not like they have a habit of doing business like this. Quite the opposite, really.
Never had a player that giving 100 million to made sense.
That’s basically an argument from silence. Besides, plenty of 100 million dollar players that could’ve helped this team have been passed up in free agency, so it still doesn’t follow.
@Wagner>Cobb What free agents could’ve helped?
Judge, de Grom, Verlander, Turner…literally any of the top 10 would make them a better team this year. The same is true every year. Horrible teams are made better by the addition of great players.
@Wagner>Cobb You think those are good smart contracts that make sense? Some of those contracts the pirates could extend Reynolds Hayes and 1 2 3 4 extra players as well. You believe those players actually would want to go to Pittsburgh? We will have to agree to disagree. Those guys had zero interest in Pittsburgh and those contracts would be awful. I am very happy the Pirates didn’t sign those guys. I would find a new team because they wouldn’t be winning anything with moves like that.
You’ll recall that you said “which players could have helped”, not “which free agents made fiscal sense”. You also didn’t say, “which players could have helped that wanted to be here”. You said, “which players could have helped”. So yes, Judge, Turner, de Grom, Verlander, etc. all would help make the team better on paper, irrespective of the likelihood – or lack thereof – of them joining.
I actually agree, none of those moves really would make sense for their project. Extending Hayes, Reynolds, and whoever else are better paths forward. That said, 100 million for Reynolds is still a big step. A historically significant step for the franchise. An unprecedented step. And yet, despite all of that, a good step for all parties involved.
You must have forgotten this comment “Never had a player that giving 100 million to made sense.” But agree 100 percent if you add mega contract players and they would actually sign with you that your team will improve no matter how awful that contract is.
Where do you trolls come up with these names….seems like you are a little cracked out
Not exactly HOF company he’s keeping. A very good player, but don’t pretend he’s a great player.
Similar Batters through 27
Bill Nicholson (980.6)
Reggie Sanders (974.7)
Sam Chapman (970.3)
Corey Hart (966.0)
Ivan Calderon (964.4)
Felipe Alou (962.1)
Curtis Granderson (961.4)
Jacque Jones (961.3)
Jimmie Hall (961.2)
Trey Mancini (958.5)
Reynolds was holding out for $13M/yr? Big win for Nutting and the fan base. Lets go Bucs!
My guess is that he wanted a shorter deal at 13/yr. Pirates were able to lower the yearly average by tacking on a couple more years.
He basically got a little over $14M per year in terms of new money in the deal. The only reason it drops under $13M is because they lumped what he was already making this year into the deal to drop the AAV calculation. The new money for him is 7 years/$100M which is approximately $14.29M per year.
Reynolds making 13 million per year is also objectively a win for him. That’s still life-changing money. And, he has a chance to go down as an all-time great for the franchise. Could be worse.
all-time great for the franchise, are you serious? He’s no Roberto Clemente, Paul Waner or Willie Stargell. I don’t even see how he can be Andrew McCutchen.
I didn’t say he’d be at the level of Clemente, Waner, Stargell, or McCutchen. If he’s a 5-6 time all star with a couple or more silver sluggers, maybe leads the team to multiple playoff runs, maybe wins a championship and has a key role….these are all things that can elevate him to an all time great status.
I’m happy for the Pirates. They lose too many quality players.
They rarely lose a player. They trade everyone before they have to pay them market value. Maybe that has changed.
Which is exactly how the Buccos got Reynolds to begin with….
Trading away said player is still losing said player.
When you lose something that means you have nothing to show for it.
And what have the Pirates shown for all the players they lost via trades?
Ok.
@lamars — They JUST did a story on this — quite interesting…
mlbtraderumors.com/2023/04/looking-at-pirates-past…
All it took was a hot start that everyone saw coming…
Pirates and Rays World Series. Let’s go!
Lol
@VonPurpleHayes
Never know. The playoffs are so random now.
@Old York I don’t think so. The AL playoffs worked out pretty much exactly as everyone predicted. The Phillies were a surprise in the NL because of their regular season record, but with that roster, I don’t really think it was a huge surprise. I think the new format will see a lot less WC success because of the tougher schedule for WC teams. The Phillies were a rare exception, but time may prove me wrong.
@VonPurpleHayes
Don’t worry, the MLB will intervene to make sure we get a few big market teams in the mix at the end of the day. Wouldn’t want the small market teams to have success when the viewership is in those big markets.
Haha! Stop it!
Opt out in 3 years clause.
I don’t think so
Nope. No opt out. That’s one of the things I love about this deal and many of the other long term deals players signed this past winter. No opt outs. It’s great teams finally learned how stupid it is to offer those. If the team is committing to the player the player should commit to the team, not “I want the security of 8-10 years in case I start sucking but the option to look for more money in 3 or 4 if I don’t.”
And by CBA rule, he will get a full no trade once he has 10 years of service time.
Consider this. A 29 year old player signs a eight year deal with an opt out after three years. For those first three years the player is an All-Star. He then opts out because he can make more money as a free agent.
The team has received three years of All-Star performance with zero commitment. It doesn’t have to pay for the player’s decline phase as that risk will be assumed by another organization. The player’s salary can then go to acquiring other talent. From a team standpoint, opt-outs can be very beneficial.
Bryan Reynolds has around 400 million reasons to test free agency if the Pirates back out of the contract.
Lol. Someone is going to give a 31 year old Reynolds 10 years/400 million ??
Or u counting coppers ?
Aside from the “Wow! “ guy, Ace and his __ has _____ million reasons…..are a staple of virtually every thread on MLBTR. They’re meaningless but are so….welcoming
The “Wow!” guy has been slacking lately.
This article was practically tailor made for the wow guy
Ace you’re another annoying person that’s worthy of being muted
What makes someone wake up every day and waste his time posting the same inane comment on every article on a sports site? Like I could think of a million better things to do.
He is clearly a lonely, desperate attention-seeker who will embrace negative attention because he can’t earn positive attention.
“He” is likely a bot.
that could end up being a little light.
Great for Pirates fans but holy underpay.
Time to get comfy and coast for several years !
8 years 107 mill? freaking steal
Let’s pump the breaks on the Pirates a little. They played 6 games against the Reds, 3 against the Rockies, and 3 against the WhiteSox who also suck.
They play the dodgers this week and that’s a big test
They beat the Dodgers 5 times in 6 games last year, believe it or not.
Ah… is this post for this article on the signing of Reynolds? But to comment on your comment. I’m a diehard Pirate fan and I don’t see anybody predicting winning the division or some grand win total. However, it is very fair to celebrate progress. Being a bad team for years – the best the Bucs would do is break even against other bad teams. So beating bad teams is in itself progress. To your point, real tests are coming – you are spot on. After the Dodgers (and a series with the Nats) they play the Jays and Rays. With 9 games against good teams I would be thrilled to win 4 when in previous years I would likely just shut my eyes for those 9 games.
LOL! Your just bummed that they Brew Crew just lost 2 of 3 to Boston and now the opener with .Detroit…..at home….. and your team is still in 2nd place. You can only play who is on the schedule. They took care of business and beat the teams they should have. We shall see how well they do against the Dodgers and Tampa.. Should be interesting.
Thank you!
And thank you for the shout out to my Red Sox. haha.
if last year is any indication, and with a weaker team, the Bucs took the season series from the Dodgers
Pump the brakes on your Brew Crew, Sir! Injuries are mounting up!
Pirates have been playing a really good brand of baseball all season vs every opponent. Getting contributions from nearly entire team. No glaring weaknesses in any phase of the game. A good mix of youth and vets who know how to win.
Do they have enough quality depth, especially in the pitching department, to thrive for 162 games? Probably not, but if they can manage to stay competitive thru AS break, they’re definitely in a position to add by trading from a very deep farm system.
The Pirates skunked the Dodgers in 2022!
@Milwaukee-2208—They passed the test against the Dodgers. Should have swept them but let game 1 get away from them .Next text coming up against the Nats. Need to keep it rolling and not let down. Rays starting next Tuesday.
Good deal for the Pirates. The AAV is less than a two win player.
I don’t get this on Reynolds part.. I imagine his agent saying hey, my client is worth 13 million a year.. the Pirates are like hold up did you say 13? As in it starts with a 1?? Shiddd how many years do you want? 7? 8? We should of had this conversation sooner
Why not? Would life be very different for him and his family at 15m a year? 16m? 20m? Heck, give me 13m total and I could live pretty well for the next forty years.
We cannot know Reynolds’ reasoning, but I wonder about the influence of three factors.
First, the influence of McCutchen’s presence. McCutchen wanted to return to Pittsburgh and had signed a less-than-market contract years ago with the Pirates.
Second, the improved performance of the Pirates this year. While the Pirate bathers chant “it can’t last”, they miss the point. They are playing much better this year and seem to be having fun as a team.
Third, living in Pittsburgh. Reynolds has previously said he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh. Other players such as McCutchen and Walker have said they like living in the area. (For the record, I live in northern Arizona.). I look at what my house is valued at and how much more I would get for the same amount in Pittsburgh and say “wow!”. I get the opposite feeling when I look at house prices in LA, SF, NYC, etc.
Money is not the only factor for some people.
plus both Cutch and Santana have been positive influences on the players and the team in general
The Bucs didn’t have that type of leadership on any of the teams Reynolds played for in Pittsburgh
Everything I’ve read, the locker room is more relaxed than in recent years
Veteran leadership probably appeals to him
You want 106 guaranteed right now or do you want to wait 3 years until you are 31 and hope you are worth more. I think like Reynolds.
That’s a very reasonable deal for a hitter like Reynolds. And it’s stretched out to lower the AAV for luxury tax purposes. (Not that the Bucs would ever get near the tax threshold)
Decent contract. Might be undervaluing himself a bit, but he would have hit free agency at 30 where a 6 year deal very well might not materialize. So he is locking in some security and will be paid handsomely. And ultimately, his choice whether to take this deal now vs waiting to see if he could do better in free agency.
Good deal for the Pirates. But also a decent deal for Reynolds. With a move to LF, he isn’t as valuable as one might think. And waiting 3 more years for a FA contract is very risky. He’d be 31, so I don’t think there would be a lot of teams opening up the vault. At this point in his career, I think taking the $100M+ is the right move.
I have to admit I didn’t think it would happen. Surprised reynolds took it but glad he did.
Good for the Pirates but that’s a awful contract for what he could have got. Guess he didnt see the new free agent market.
But in 3 years at 31, what deal is he going to get? Likely not a 7 year one. Or even a 6 year one.
Great! Not only is this good for baseball we all don’t have to suffer from the constant comments about him being traded to the Yankees. Thank you, Pirates and the FO.
Amen to that!
Ok, so who will replace Reynolds in that scenario? Think upcoming Star on small market team with no big contract. Yanks can dream on if they think they’ll get Arozarena before he hits FA this winter.
LETS GO BUCS!!!!
Watched the Pirates sweep my Reds this past weekend. Granted that is not much to brag about, but the Pirates really look fantastic. Hope they win the Central!
It’s a good move by the Pirates today, however, questions linger. Why did Reynolds sign for such a low amount? He was due to hit free agency at 30/31 years of age. I think he would have easily secured that if he were playing at a similar level.
I’m leery of player’s who take a lowball cash out and don’t bet on themselves. It brings to mind Matt Carpenter and his 6 yr/ 52 million extension. Carpenter before got MVP votes. Carpenter after was never the same player and couldn’t hit out of the shift.
It also makes me wonder if said player is hiding an injury or isn’t being as forthcoming about it, like Carlos Correa. It would explain why Pittsburgh was pausing on an extension.
Reynolds probably came at them with a number, Pittsburgh says let’s get a detailed physical in spring (that request came on February 15th as catchers and pitchers report and vefore the rest took reported or took physicals), Reynolds then demands trade, Reynolds gets mandatory physical anyways, Pittsburgh finds something that concerns them significantly, and Reynolds loses the negotiating power and takes the deal he can without it going public.
Good luck Pittsburgh, hope it works out.
“It’s a good move by the Pirates today, however, questions linger. Why did Reynolds sign for such a low amount? He was due to hit free agency at 30/31 years of age. I think he would have easily secured that if he were playing at a similar level.”
Because at age 30/31 he might not get $13 million a year.
13 million isn’t much anymore. Thats less than half of what Bryce Harper, Paul Goldscmidt, or Freddie Freeman made with bonuses last year. I believe at the clip he performs, he would be valued with those players over the next 5 years.
I’m happy for Pittsburgh being able to retain one of their guys, but there seems to be amiss to me.
Simple choice of take £100m now, knowing where his kids will get schooled and that his wife won’t be stripped of her friends every couple of years – versus a possible £130m in the long term with lots of potential upheaval via trades, chasing bigger contracts or even career ending injury.
He seems like a pretty straight forward guy and I applaud him for securing his family’s settled future in Pittsburgh.
The time value of money.
@Terrier Kudos +1 for thinking about his wife & her friends. A consideration not often seen in the comment section.
Don’t want to end up like Toombs saying I should have taken the money.
Good for the Bucs. All the best to his career and this is a pretty fair deal. $13M/ year is amazing money.
I thought he would be closer to the Nimmo deal. 15-20mil/yr. Id be happy if I am a Pirates fan. Plenty of teams would trade for him at $15/yr in those last four yrs if his production remains.
Nimmo was a free agent and Mets have a awful front office.
I’m not sure the Mets front office is “awful,” but the Davis for Ruf trade must be among the worst of all time, given what happened since. (Ruf being cut and signing with the Giants; the team that traded him to the Mets for Davis.)
Awful might be a strong word but compared to the teams I follow they seem that way. Definitely bottom half imo. As a Pirate fan I love 6 years of Holderman for 2 years of a slow platoon dh. Cleveland is my al central team and I love the Lindor trade. I imagine Seattle loved getting Cano off their books mostly and are enjoying Kelenic. PCA for 2 months of Baez seemed like a lot. PCA may or may not work out but either way I think he could have brought back more.
W
Definitely left money on the table but who can turn down 100mil guaranteed when you could easily get hurt over the next couple of years (or underperform). He wasn’t gonna be in his 20s when he tested free agency. With the way the system works this was the best way to go for security. I’m sure he liked that they have improved seemingly as well and have lots of talent
Our long national nightmare is over
Never thought I’d ever hear the Cornwhisperer scream.
Great news for all Pirates fans.
This is a steal!!!
Great news , Now we have 2 position players locked in. I would now like to see them extend a couple of young starting pitchers.
Hopefully this offseason.
Keller would be much more beneficial than Reynolds. Extend anyone willing.
Pirates get the deal on the number that they were comfortable at, got his age 35 $20M payday to be an option, limited the no trade to six teams and got Reynolds to tell CAA to drop that stupid opt out that left the Pirates with only one year of FA control and all the financial risk if Reynolds got hurt or played so badly that an opt out wouldn’t pay him better than this.. Against inflation and where contracts are going in this CBA and the next, this is a big win for the Pirates. Great security for Reynolds and his family while we have potentially a very good player for his entire MLB career. Congrats to both sides for not breaking the talks off.
Great, I’m just happy now the dirtbag Dodgers can’t purchase him the way they try and buy or trade for everyone else. Good on ya Pittsburgh! (For once)
That is pretty neat. I wanted to see the Mariners make a run ar him this last off-season but this is a better situation for the game, I will never root against a player staying with their team.
Wow, very team friendly for his kind of production. They even got him to sign without including the opt-out.
I’m always surprised by those who are astonished when players take a bit of a pay cut in order to stay in a city they like or with a team they are comfortable with. Not every decision these guys make is purely economic. They are human beings. Not everything comes down to money.
Especially if it’s a length of contract they’re comfortable at being.
Seems kind of light for an MVP-caliber OF. Happy for Pirates fans though. It’s about time the Bucs stop being a AAAA team for the rich coastal teams and start retaining their talent.
You have it backwards. The Pirates are looting the rich teams talent. Reynolds is a excellent example.
Called it. Knew it’d be around $106.75M with around $100M in new money and up to $124.75M total over 9 years. It’s a perfect middle ground between the two sides. And hopefully portends more Pirates spending to be competitive beyond Reynold’s deal.
BTW for some context: Going by inflation numbers, this Reynolds deal is equivalent modern day value to the Pirates’ Jason Kendall extension in 2000, so their spending habits haven’t changed at all in nearly a quarter century, they’ve simply adjusted for inflation.
Huge accomplishment for both the Pirates and MLB baseball.
It’s going to be weird to see him with hair extensions.
Funny thought, the contract looks about right. A +128 OPS hitter with a so-so glove as a corner outfielder. One +5 bWAR season, otherwise some okay but not overwhelming seasons. I don’t see it as much of an underpay but it’s not an overpay, either.
Good on both sides. Reynolds will be 36 or so when the deal ends. Even if he gets injured. I’ve been expecting something since Cruz got injured. He’s playing it smart for himself and his family. Pirates lock up one of their best players long term. Best part, no more rumors about a trade, for awhile at least.
Who are the 6 teams on the “no trade” list?
LAD, SD, NYY, NYM, BOS, and CHC(?) would be my guess.
he doesn’t want to play in any major metropolitan cities
I think many people’s would be LAD, NYY, SD, Seattle, SFG, Oakland (could take off Oakland cause they never spend money and may not even be in California anymore-then I’d add NYM). Many people wouldn’t want to live on the West Coast in this time and the same for NY. Though you could live close by if you played on Yankees without actually living there. The country is divided. Let’s be honest. Also many people don’t want to play in a huge city. I think Chicago is okay with most people tho.
Funny because the popularity of CA has kept the real estate prices up, up, and up for decades, and driven it to the 5th largest economy in the world, ahead of the UK. FL and TX, the next two most populous states, aren’t even in the top 25. But you be you, Rlshl.
Yea. I enjoyed not being locked up in my house during shutdown of society personally. I also enjoyed not living in NY where old people with TOE-VID were put in a special place where the death rates were so insanely incomprehensibly high they single handedly shot up the rates for the entire country in a matter of months and gave the “powers that be” the death spike needed to further shut down the country
Actually since 2018 the population has been decreasing in CA every year. Even before that the increase has been plummeting every year percentage wise for a long time.
I’d imagine he has the opportunity to revise that list every offseason
No opt out. He didn’t deserve one and the team held to their guns on not needing g to give one.
Great deal for everyone.
His post extension regression starts as soon as the ink dries. He got paid. No need to even try anymore. The Pirates cannot afford all that dead money. Just ask the Reds
Reynolds doesn’t seem like the type.
Did hell just freeze over
I’m thinking that his recent mini slump will be over soon. This had to be weighing on him. He’s not a “hey…look at me” type of player. Now I can buy a Reynolds jersey.
He is coming back from the bereavement list today because an uncle he was close with just passed away. I’d imagine that was weighing on his mind a lot more than contract negotiations that his agent handles anyway. It’s possible that real life mortality scenario spurred the desire on his end to get this done now and take a deal with no opt out which was the main hangup during spring training.
Noooooooo!
Reynolds debut was in 2019
Seems fair for both sides. Glad to see no opt-outs
Good deal for the Pirates. Okay deal for Bryan. I probably wouldn’t have backed down from an opt out after 26 if the team is losing. I don’t think this came down to money but rather the pirates commitment to winning
With the current team success I think it shows the team has the potential of winning the division in the next year or two probably swayed him some. I think everyone agrees that this performance is not sustainable but ending up around .500 seems more plausible in 2023
With the extension of Hayes and Reynolds it shows the pirates are willing to commit going into the coming seasons. Will make it easier to fill any holes in free agency. Or extending current players. for example Keller and Bednar, keeping them until around 2030
I’d have held firm on the opt out too, if it were me. I wouldn’t like the idea of having so little control over my situation. It is a pretty fair deal for both sides otherwise, though.
The wanting to win was just weak negotiating bs. Reynolds seems intelligent and said in interviews the past couple years about how much talent is in the system and how the team is going to be good soon. The winning is not a surprise to him.
Every player talks decently about the team their on in public… well any smart player. I would also classify Bryan as a smart player. He is also very self aware at least in terms of his play. One of the reasons I like him
True but I don’t remember him answering a direct question about it. Seem like it was on his mind and genuinely believed what he was saying. And if I can see the talent I am sure he can even more.
Reynolds will regret that when Pit is in the basement every season
The year Termarr Johnson wins Rookie of the Year will be the year the Bucs are in the World Series.
Oh, and as a pre-emptive note to the cynics, his ROK award will be in a Pirate uniform.
DCart
Could easily see Termarr being a ROY.
There is nothing that I see to suggest Pirates are likely be an elite 95+ win team at that time.
Don’t think he cares as long as he gets paid.
With their farm system and philosophy they should be good most or all of his contract.
Very happy for Pirates fans.Also nice to see great start to their season.Hope it lasts.Never would have expected anything positive with Pirates cheap owner.
He’s not cheap. Just owns a team in one of the smallest markets and his gm failed to sustain a winning team. I been a fan for 11 years and never seen him lose a player over $ or fail to provide enough $ for the team to contend. Most won’t share this view and will parrot the media talking points.
I don’t parrot anyones views my opinions are mine,I don’t care what market you play in,If Your payroll is as low as the numbers you find on Cot’s website than they’re pocketing money.Every team gets boatloads of money,Some spend it on team somw don’t.Thankfully their front office did a better job this year.Either way i’m just happy your teams having a great start,I’m not a Pirates fan but will be happy seeing them succeed.That part you should like about my comment,
I never said you parrot. Never said they didn’t pocket money. I didn’t dislike anything about your comment.
No trade list is the Giants once and the A’s five times.
Weird.
Is Nutting tied up in someone’s basement or something?
Bulletin: Reynolds contacts Rendon about going on indefinite vacation.
Feels like a very favorable deal for Pittsburgh. Good for them though not trading away a talented player for once.
Interesting. He really didn’t get anything he wanted. Well, outside of $100 million guaranteed! Yet, he didn’t get an opt out, and he didn’t leverage that into higher money.
It’s easy to talk about what he almost assuredly left behind money wise (a lot), but that wasn’t guaranteed as he would have had to stay healthy and productive. He did guarantee himself and a few generations of Reynolds nearly $107 million dollars, and when balancing the guaranteed money vs. the could-have-been money, he made the correct decision.
He had no leverage. Did the best he could. I would have done the same. His agent didn’t help his cause.
At the very least he would have got 25/5 for 125 mil as a 31 yr old free agent. Plus his ARB years and this year salary are 32-38 we will say. So IMO he would have made over the same period going into FA is 160. So he left 55 on the table and that’s an average contact if he had a few teams really in he could have gotten more. If he is happy tho that’s what really matters. Also I think most ppl tend to forget that the player only takes home 50%-55% of his deal and add a few more points there if you sign in Texas or florida
Cause this is the Pirates we’re talking bout now that they’ve committed to em n paid em he’ll regress … Jason Bay 2.0
Reynolds still had 3 more arb years (including the current season) and would have been 31 as a free agent. Had he bet on himself and he had 3 more excellent years he might have been able to parlay that into a 200+mil contract. But he is now set for life and will be 36 next time he’s a free agent
Thanks Bob
I think fans should consider giving Bob a 2nd chance. I always felt like he was a good owner who was just bad at PR.
I never thought he was much of a baseball guy but rather, a shrewd businessman. That’s ok, of course, but at least he had the good sense to bring in Cherington and has some sense as to how a small market team can compete in the modern era of MLB
I don’t know that this is that much of Nutting as it is Cherington telling him the deal had to be done. That’s fine. He’s listening to a good baseball man
Don’t know that the Pirates will ever win a World Series but if they field a team full of guys who leave it all out there game in and game out, guys who don’t like losing or being embarrassed, I can live with that
Just a coincidence how similar NH BC are? The plan is exactly the same. Build up the farm system with high draft picks and once you have a foundation at the mlb level bring in under the radar veterans and compete. They even went to the same college! I would say he advised Nutting. Telling a billionaire it has to be done is a good way to get fired. Cutch Marte Polanco Harrison were all extended and Ben wasn’t around then.
Red letter day in Pittsburgh indeed. Supposedly the contract had to be printed on Bounty because it’s super absorbent and Nutting kept crying through the regular paper
Ok it’s a Wrap….
Reynolds said he just wanted a fair deal for both and this is just that. A+ for both.
Reynolds certainly leaving money on the table but if he’s happy in PIT then good for him and the team. Just secured over $100M for his future.
Plunge it all in Vegas Bryan!
This is an outstanding contract. Reynolds and his family are rich and set for life and the Pirates have an excellent player to continue to build around. Best of all, they are only asking him to perform until his age 35 season at a very reasonable cost. These $300 mil contracts are asking players to perform at a high level until they are 40 at a ridiculous cost. Great day to be a Pirates fan. Thanks, Mr. Nutting.
Holy crap, I didn’t think they’d actually be able to reach a mutually agreeable… er… agreement.
Good for Pirates fans getting a happy ending to this saga. As an under-40 Orioles fan, I feel their pain, but brighter days for both clubs seem to inbound and sooner rather than later!
Repeat of ’71 and ’79 coming soon.
If he were younger this is probably a deal he would’ve passed on, but considering he’s already 28 and has 3 more arb years ahead of him, $100M+ in the pocket for 8 years of playing a game can set him and future generations up for life. He certainly could’ve bet on himself, but my guess he prefers the guaranteed dollars and less risk of injury occurs, etc.
And a solid deal for the Pirates as well. A trade that has worked out well for them and retain the talent at a very reasonable cost during the players prime years. Win-win.
He left money on the table. It’s a great deal for the Pirates. And seems about right, where the market should be. I think the market has gotten way out of control for some of these guys. And I’d assume Pittsburgh is not that expensive of a city. I don’t know about the state taxes. 5 free agent years for 76 million plus half he 2 million signing bonus. I’d think Reynolds could have gotten at least 18-20 mil per year had he waited. But he wouldn’t be a Pirate. I guess he really likes it there. It cost him about 20/25 mil I think. Maybe more in terms of years. Plus he has the extra 18 from the option year, if picked up. And free agency at 37. Not Ideal, but maybe can get a few more years in as far as pay. That would be maybe another 30-40 depending on prowess. He tops out at maybe 150 Million plus career earnings. And he’s a Pirate Maybe for Life. Not too bad. Hopefully they can win a ring. Make it worth it. That’d be Cool.
It’s actually an even cheaper deal than I initially understood it to be.
In a best case scenario, Reynolds would have probably been able to justify something like $13M and $20M his last two years of arbitration and could have secured around 6 years/$120M to 7 years/$200M on the open market, for a total haul of around 8 years/$153M to 9 years/$233M.
So the reality is, he has probably left around $67M or so on the table, give or take different scenarios of his last two years of arbitration and an extension with a bigger club or an open market free agency bidding war.
Oof. I initially thought he’d only left around $30M on the table in that scenario, give or take, but $67M…..
It is basically the difference between winning the $20M minimum lottery jackpot and a $200M jackpot- both are still life altering, finances securing amounts of money even after cash option and taxes, but the gulf is still huge..
Reynolds leaving around $50M on the table means giving up on around $23M or so in cash after taxes and agents fees, etc, which, at his level, does make a difference. I understand a guy picking a deal for $8M over a deal for $10M or a guy picking a deal for $200M over a deal for $230M etc. but Reynolds left the biggest ratio on the table as compared to most guys who take less money for whatever reason.
But hey- the bag secured is the bag secured.
If you want to remain in Pittsburgh, a team friendly deal is what will get it done. player gets the security, team gets controlled cost certainty. Now they have to ink a few more of these deals, AND make moves prior to the deadline to show the players that they truly mean business. Nutting can’t afford to botch this.
Good for Pirates & fans but he undoubtedly left money on the table by not going to test the MLB market needs for his Q of player (Yankees). But I guess he can ask later to be traded to 6 favs.
Hope all the best for him.
I want to find the table everyone’s left money on.
Wide ties?
The best thing about Pitts signing Reynolds is now we don’t have to listen to all the yankee fans talk on acquiring Reynolds
Not a particularly impressive deal. Take the option year, for example: it’s almost worthless. $20 million for a 36 year old who at age 28 is already a below average corner guy? You’d forgo this option just to get out of its $2m buyout.
Since 2020 he’s a 3-1/2 win player who already dropped below 3 rWAR in 2022. He’s more likely to be a platoon DH or out of the game by his mid-thirties than he is to be even a modestly productive regular.