The Top 10 Landing Spots for Pirates' Bryan Reynolds Amid MLB Trade Rumors

Now that the free-agent market is mostly settled, the next major player movement to monitor will be trades.

For teams unable to check off their free-agent wishlist, it's still possible they can address some needs by making deals.

Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star center fielder Bryan Reynolds officially requested a trade earlier this month after the two sides failed to agree on an extension.

The Pirates have all the leverage here. Reynolds' contract is under team control for the next three years, and the team has shown little interest in trading him.

Their price has been reported as "astronomical" for more than a year, well before Reynolds requested a trade.

That's with good reason. He has a lifetime 126 wRC+ and 127 OPS+, an instant upgrade to any team.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the top 10 landing spots for Reynolds as trade rumors loom.

With the Yankees' No. 1 plan for left fielder no longer being an option for them, a trade for Bryan Reynolds makes sense.

Ideally, the Yankees would have re-signed Andrew Benintendi, who they just traded for midseason, but he went back to the AL Central in a free-agent deal with the Chicago White Sox.

Losing Benintendi in free agency has to be a gut punch to the Yankees, considering they gave up three decent prospects to acquire the outfielder and he wasn't even healthy during the postseason stretch.

So, trading more assets for Reynolds would seemingly add insult to injury, considering the Pirates' reportedly high asking price.

But it would address a clear need for the Yankees, who are also more than capable of signing Reynolds to the long-term extension he's seeking.

This team showed itself to be way ahead of schedule in terms of development and being ready to compete. The Chicago White Sox were supposed to win an improved AL Central last year, but it was the young Guardians who emerged on top.

The main thing they were missing, though: thump. A power hitter added to their lineup would heighten Cleveland's ceiling in what is now clearly a wide-open division, possibly even theirs for the taking.

The Guardians did a good job of hitting for average (.254, ranked sixth in baseball) and getting on base (.316, 12th). But they were in the bottom third of the league in slugging (.383) and next to last in home runs.

Reynolds' .481 career slugging percentage and ability to hit 20-plus home runs in a season would go a long way in improving Cleveland's lackluster power numbers.

Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com reported earlier this month the two teams have been in contact about a possible trade for Reynolds.

Reynolds is a former Giants prospect who they ended up trading to Pittsburgh almost five years ago for Andrew McCutchen.

It's a deal that has aged like milk. McCutchen was fine in 130 games for the Giants, hitting .255 with 15 home runs and 55 RBI. But they ended up trading him to the New York Yankees that same season, while Reynolds turned into an All-Star outfielder.

The Giants must have known what they had in Reynolds. He was their second-round pick in 2016, tore it up in the minor leagues and participated in the 2017 All-Star Futures Game.

Now wouldn't be a bad time to revisit that potential. It seems less likely after San Francisco signed Mitch Haniger and re-signed Joc Pederson in free agency.

But with Reynolds playing center field at a high level over the past two seasons, it would make sense for the Giants and be an obvious fit.

Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden named the Red Sox as the top landing spot for Reynolds when his trade request became public earlier this month.

It's good to know the Red Sox are actually interested in acquiring good players, rather than dealing them away or letting them walk.

Coming off a last-place finish in the AL East, addressing their holes in the outfield should be a top priority for Boston. The best free-agent options are mostly long gone, making a Reynolds trade even more pertinent.

The Pirates' asking price is believed to be steep, and they are more inclined not to trade Reynolds at all. Yet the Red Sox have one of the better farm systems in baseball with three top-100 prospects—two infielders and a right-handed pitcher.

Boston doesn't have a lot of outfield depth past Kiké Hernández and Alex Verdugo. Reynolds is better than both in center field and could play the corner outfield spots when necessary.

The Dodgers non-tendered Cody Bellinger, who played 144 games in center field for them last season. It's reasonable to say the Dodgers would like to upgrade at that position, given Bellinger has been the worst-hitting MLB center fielder the past two seasons.

Reynolds addresses their need for a left-handed or switch-hitter. He was also identified by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal as a trade possibility for the Dodgers, who have been unusually quiet this offseason.

Trayce Thompson was a cool story for them, and Chris Taylor would be just fine for the Dodgers in center field. But they also have one of the best farm systems in baseball and could meet the Pirates' asking price.

They also can afford to extend Reynolds, which would be worth considering after swinging and missing in free agency.

There is no way around the fact Miami had a light-hitting team last season and desperately needs to add some pop.

The Marlins ranked 28th in slugging (.363) and 24th in home runs. Their pitching is really good, but the offense leaves a lot to be desired. Here is a reasonable trade that makes them marginally better without killing their future.

A Reynolds trade could include Trevor Rogers or a top-100 prospect like right-handed pitcher Max Meyer. Miami has the pitching depth to survive this.

What the Marlins need is power in the lineup and, overall, more impact players.

They have shown interest in the past, and there is no reason it should be different now.

Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden ranked the Marlins second on a list of potential landing spots for Reynolds.

The Blue Jays were identified by MLB Network's Jon Morosi as a team to watch in the Reynolds trade market.

They want to add an athletic switch-hitter and have shown interest in Reynolds, according to Morosi.

Reynolds would no doubt be a fit with Toronto. It would allow 33-year-old George Springer, who is often injured, to move from center field to the corner. Toronto also has an opening after trading Teoscar Hernández to the Seattle Mariners.

While Reynolds is not regarded as a great defensive center fielder, the dimensions at Roger Centre would be much friendlier to him than PNC Park.

The major question for Toronto is the steep price. Morosi mentioned specifically in his report linking the Blue Jays to Reynolds that it would likely cost them top prospects Ricky Tiedemann and Orelvis Martinez.

Then Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the Blue Jays as a team "chasing young outfielders in trades" and cited rival general managers lamenting the Pirates' asking price.

The Mariners are another team with prior interest in Reynolds. Reporters in both Seattle and Pittsburgh have mentioned the two teams as potential trade partners.

Jason Mackey, Pirates beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, told 710 AM in Seattle it would probably take two major league-ready players and a prospect to get Reynolds.

How aggressive the Mariners are could depend on what they think of Jarred Kelenic, a former top prospect who's shown flashes but had a disappointing first two big league seasons.

Trading for Reynolds to play left field would absolutely be an upgrade. The Mariners just have to decide if it's worth parting with their top prospects.

They have just one in the top 100, catcher Harry Ford (No. 65). And if there is a chance Kelenic can still live up to expectations, that's worth exploring.

But the Mariners are so close, and Reynolds gets them a lot closer to where they want to be.

Reigning NL Rookie of the Year Michael Harris II is the center fielder of the future in Atlanta. But this team needs a corner outfielder and designated hitter option just as badly as it needs to address the shortstop position recently vacated by Dansby Swanson in free agency.

A trade for Reynolds would fix a glaring need in the corner outfield, where Atlanta currently relies on Eddie Rosario and Marcell Ozuna. The options at DH are just as iffy.

Rob Biertempfel, who covers the Pirates for The Athletic, cited a major league source who said Atlanta could make "a strong, under-the-radar push for Reynolds this winter."

There should be a sense of urgency in Atlanta, given what the division rival New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies are doing in free agency to separate themselves from the competition.

These past two offseasons have made the Rangers' intentions clear. They want to compete and are willing to add players at astronomical costs to do so.

The Rangers signed Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to megadeals last offseason, then just added Jacob deGrom.

They are still lacking in the outfield, and Reynolds would immediately address the need.

With six of MLB.com's top 90 prospects, the Rangers have a strong enough farm system to offer the Pirates a competitive deal.

B/R colleague Kerry Miller made the best case for Reynolds-to-Texas ahead of the winter meetings earlier this month.

The Rangers did not land Brandon Nimmo or Cody Bellinger in free agency. Reynolds is owed $6.8 million in 2023 and arbitration-eligible the next two years before hitting free agency. That's a bargain for a team looking to compete as soon as possible.