Pirates, Padres Engaged in Bryan Reynolds Trade Talks

Bryan Reynolds remains one of the hottest targets on the trade market and according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the San Diego Padres are discussing acquiring the 2021 All-Star from the Pirates.

The Padres are willing to deal from their pitching depth, and right-handed pitcher Chris Paddack and left-handed pitcher Ryan Weathers are two of the names that have been discussed.

Reynolds emerged as one of the best outfielders in Baseball in 2021, finishing with a .302 batting average and a .912 OPS in 159 games. He hit 35 doubles, a league-leading eight triples and 24 homeruns on the year that saw him finish 11th in the National League MVP race.

It has long been speculated whether the Pirates would trade their centerfielder or explore extension talks with him. Reynolds himself said that no extension talks have taken place. The Pirates and Reynolds are set for an arbitration hearing as the two sides have yet to reach an agreement on his 2022 salary. Reynolds asked for $4.9M while the Pirates countered with $4.25M.

The Padres have a need for an outfielder and have a deep pitching staff that they would be able to deal from. Paddack, 26, has a career 4.21 ERA/4.10 FIP in 308 career innings. He has battled injuries the last two seasons, but has shown high upside when healthy.

Weathers is a former top 100 prospect and made his Major League debut in 2021. His first taste of the big leagues didn’t go great as he finished the year with a 5.32 ERA in 94.2 innings, spending time in the rotation and bullpen. Outside of his Major League stint, he only has 10 career innings above A-ball. He’s still only 22 years old and was the seventh overall pick in 2018.

These discussions don’t mean that Reynolds will for sure get traded, but it is certainly something to monitor. The asking price for Reynolds is said to be extremely high. Opening Day is one week from Thursday.