Bryan Reynolds Opens Up on Contract Situation With Pirates

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds met with reporters at Spring Training on Wednesday morning, and it didn't take long before they started asking him about his contract situation.

Reynolds, who arrived at Spring Training early, tried to clear the air by shedding some light on what he's seeking at the bargaining table.

Bryan Reynolds Contract

Reynolds, 28, is entering the final year of a two-year, $13.5 million deal he signed with the Pirates prior to the 2022 season. While he's still under team control for 2024 and 2025 as well, those are arbitration years, so the hope for both sides is to agree on a contract extension that would buy out those seasons and keep him with Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future.

For his part, Reynolds claims that signing an extension is his "No. 1 priority" as opposed to reaching free agency or demanding a trade. He also said he simply wants "a fair deal for both sides," which is totally reasonable.

Still, that could be easier said than done for the 2021 All-Star, who is coming off a career-high 27 home runs in 2022. According to Spotrac, the Pirates are projected to have MLB's third-lowest payroll in 2023 at $56.1 million. That makes it difficult for them to retain a player like Reynolds, who could probably command at least $20 million a year on the open market. They're also coming off four straight losing seasons, so it would be tough for them to justify paying Reynolds when his salary could be spent on multiple players to address other needs.

Time will tell if Pittsburgh and Reynolds are able to hammer out a deal before Opening Day. If not, the Pirates may consider floating him in trade rumors again, as they did last winter.