Surgnbuck wrote on Dec 4^th, 2022 at 8:14pm:


Same city that called Roberto Clemente a whiner until he died.

Same city that threw batteries at Dave Parker.

Same city that hated Barry Bonds.

Same city that badmouthed Andrew McCutchen.

Anyone around who knows baseball talent and respects it?

No wonder the guy wants traded.

No wonder we lose.

Surgnbuck wrote on Dec 4^th, 2022 at 8:14pm:

Asking for a trade doesn't make him a liar or a quitter. It's hard to find any athlete who doesn't say the right thing about being happy where he is, yet would take a better situation if one was available. It's up to BC as to whether Reynolds gets dealt. If he isn't, he'll be in the Bucs lineup in 2023. That's not quitting. 

You claim "His defensive play is awful." That's nonsense. You seem to want to compare him to Hayes. Neither was lights out driving in runs. Reynolds was .229 with RISP, Hayes was a similar .227.

You say, "Reynolds gets a free pass for everything he does and doesn't do." Where's, the free pass? Most if not all have expressed that it was a disappointing year for Reynolds even though many players would be happy with .262/.345/.461/.807 and 27 HRs. He dug a hole for himself with a slow start and was hitting just .216 as of June 8. But he was a very respectable .287 the rest of the season.

You say, "Hayes throws some seeds in his mouth, and he's vilified for life. Real fair and balanced around here." Hayes took a play off and ate while a runner ran past him at 3B with the ball in play. That's an on field conduct issue, not a performance issue. "Vilified for life" is hyperbole, but it is an incident he'll be known for and want to live down. I'm not aware of any on field conduct issues with Reynolds. So what was there to be given a free pass about? There's a huge difference between standing around and snacking in the middle of a play and failing to drive in a run. Comparing the 2 players on driving in runs from 3B vs standing around and eating during a play is hardly "fair and balanced."

"The Blue Jays are a team to watch in the Bryan Reynolds market. They have interest in him and want to add an athletic switch hitter to their outfield. Based on strong industry interest, Jays would likely need to include Tiedemann or Martínez to have high offer." - Morosi

https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/1599909345885814784

Surgnbuck wrote on Dec 6^th, 2022 at 2:23pm:


I don't think Harrison Bader is comparable at all other than he plays centerfield.  Lifetime average of 245, lifetime slugging of 405, compared to 281 and 481 for Reynolds.

Reynolds might go for a Robert contract though.   three years would only buy out one year of free agency if it started after this season.  I guess a lot depends on how soon Reynolds wants to get a long term contract or whether he is willing to go to arbitration a couple more times.  If he repeats last season he would certainly get over 10 million in 2024.

Surgnbuck wrote on Dec 6^th, 2022 at 4:00pm:

Luis Robert is very talented but has never been able to stay healthy. After an injury shortened 2021, the White Sox had high hopes for him in 2022. But the same thing happened. In 2021 it was a torn hip flexor. In 2022 it was a hand/wrist injury blurred vision and a groin injury. If he could ever stay healthy, his skill set is similar to Reynolds. But he seems to have a body that can't stand up to the rigors of baseball. I think the Sox would make that deal in a heartbeat because Reynolds is everything they thought they had in Robert if he could stay on the field. But it would be very risky for the Pirates.

Andrew Heaney to the Rangers for 2/25 with an opt out for '23, and potential bonuses that could push it to 40 million.

Wow. Another splash move for a pitcher with quite the injury history.

ChillinStation wrote on Dec 6^th, 2022 at 7:18pm:

I would be very pleased if the Pirates could get Tiedermann as part of the package for Reynolds. We need a stud LH dominating pitcher!

Before we get too upset with Reynolds, keep in mind these are all negotiations. One side or the other felt commenting on a trade would help with secondary pressure on the other. Aaron Judge had a complaint about this point with the Yankees:

"Before Opening Day and Judge’s deadline to reach a contract extension, GM Brian Cashman held a press conference in which he announced the Yankees had offered Judge a seven-year, $213 million that he turned down.

“We kind of said, ‘Hey, let’s keep this between us,’” Judge said. “I was a little upset that the numbers came out. I understand it’s a negotiation tactic. Put pressure on me. Turn the fans against me, turn the media on me. That part of it I didn’t like.”

If he wasn't willing to stay in Pittsburgh, he wouldn't be negotiating at all, he'd just play out his contract then go free-agent route - although he likely would be traded when the first big Arb award was threatened. As is, I expect him to be traded at the deadline this summer, assuming a decent year.