MLB insider believes Pirates will demand a lofty return for outfielder Bryan Reynolds: "A Juan Soto-type package"
Earlier this offseason, Bryan Reynolds requested a trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates. They stated that they don't plan to trade him, but they have reportedly set the asking price they'd have to receive in order to consider trading the All-Star outfielder.
According to MLB.com, the Pirates want a massive return:
"The Pirates reportedly set a lofty price tag in trade talks regarding outfielder Bryan Reynolds last month, with The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal noting that one rival official, perhaps exaggerating a bit, said Pittsburgh was seeking a '[Juan] Soto-type package' for the 27-year-old Reynolds."
Still, that hasn't deterred potential suitors:
"According to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, 'many teams' have been involved in talks with the Bucs about trading for Reynolds."
Those teams reportedly include the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers, two teams who might be better equipped to pull off such a deal than other teams.
The Yankees are in need of an outfielder. They saw last year's deadline acquisition Andrew Benintendi (who replaced Aaron Hicks) sign with the Chicago White Sox and other free agent options land elsewhere.
The Dodgers lost Cody Bellinger and haven't added a lot of talent this offseason, so they need both an outfielder and talent overall. Reynolds fits that bill.
The Pirates are probably going to be unwilling to budge. Juan Soto received one of the biggest returns in baseball history, and he is probably significantly better than Reynolds.
If they're asking for what the San Diego Padres gave the Washington Nationals, then most teams aren't even going to bother engaging in trade talks.
If they waver or lower the price, then teams like the Dodgers and Yankees might be more inclined to make an offer.
What is Bryan Reynolds' career WAR?
There's a reason Bryan Reynolds is being sought after and why the Pirates are refusing to budge unless given a spectacular deal.
Reynolds is legitimately good. He's an All-Star and has been dependable over the course of his first four seasons (one of which was the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020).
Over those seasons, he has amassed a 13.6 bWAR, showing how valuable he can be.