Trade rumors for Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds were swirling around the MLB earlier this offseason, although the chatter has since died down, due in part to the Pirates’ reported asking price. And yet, there’s still a chance that Reynolds, who requested a trade, is dealt. The Atlanta Braves, who have expressed an interest in the Pirates outfielder in the past, have an opening in left field that Reynolds could certainly fill.
So, why don’t the two clubs link up and talk about a Reynolds trade? A Braves trade for Reynolds was deemed as ‘unlikely’, according to David O’Brien of The Athletic.
“As much as the Braves like Reynolds and have checked in with the Pirates about a possible trade in the past, trading for him now seems unlikely, both because the Braves are set for the foreseeable future in center field and right field with Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr., and because the huge load of young talent that Pittsburgh is asking for in any trade for Reynolds.”
O’Brien notes that the Braves are set for the long haul at two outfield spots with Ronald Acuna Jr and Michael Harris II.
Not only that, but the huge asking price for a Bryan Reynolds trade wouldn’t jive with the Braves’ current strategy, which O’Brien notes is to build the farm system.
It’s certainly tantalizing for Braves fans to imagine an outfield with Acuna, Harris and Reynolds, who has posted a .861 OPS over the last two seasons.
However, the latest MLB rumors seem to indicate that it’s not a direction the club is willing to go in at this moment.
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