Heat up the stove! We are starting to get some action around the league this offseason right before the Winter Meetings. After the Texas Rangers recently made a splash in signing Jacob deGrom, the Padres could possibly make a splash of their own by looking for outfield improvement in Pittsburgh Pirate Bryan Reynolds.
Credit to FanSided for this image.
More will be discussed on today's podcast; however, why not have a quick article in regard to the most recent news at this hour. That news being the fact that Bryan Reynolds officially wants out of the Pirates organization. After trade rumors surrounding Reynolds' name for a little while now, the Pirates still seem to be unsure on what they want to do with the center fielder. Instead, Reynolds has maybe made it easier in saying he wants out. So, could San Diego pull the trigger as they showed interest in him before?
Reynolds, 27, has spent his first four seasons with the Pirates and has quietly become a hidden gem in the majors. A switch-hitting center fielder, Reynolds has represented solid slugging numbers and has comfortably shown his success in the top of the order in the Pirates' lineup throughout the past couple of seasons.
Earning his first All-Star appearance in 2021, Reynolds has also shown consistent hitting with pretty even splits when batting on either side of the plate. A career OPS at .842 and spraying the baseball all over the field, acquiring a player like Reynolds could drastically improve this outfield that is in question for San Diego.
Friar Faithful, we are all wondering what this outfield will look like come Opening Day and even when Fernando Tatis Jr. makes his return. But no matter where Tatis will play, the outfield needs to be improved. It is most likely that we lose Jurickson Profar in free agency, as he has the opportunity to take big dollars elsewhere and take advantage of hitting with no shift in place. So, maybe Preller can work his magic here and finesse the Pirates into getting Reynolds without having to sacrifice too much in return.
Credit to USA Today for this image.
For those wondering, I do believe in Trent Grisham. I will always keep the faith in him despite a disastrous 2022 regular season. Thankfully, Grisham came up huge in the postseason at times and recently won his second Gold Glove award. However, there is no question Grisham would be in the bottom 7-9 order come Opening Day unless he is the temporary leadoff hitter in Tatis Jr.'s absence.
If you can take advantage of not only bolstering the lineup but also improving on a bat in the outfield, take a chance on Reynolds. If the Pirates ask for too much, it was worth looking into. This to me is a better option than wasting time on non-necessities such as a star shortstop free agent. More will be discussed on the podcast, in which you can find the link here to listen on any platform at anytime: https://linktr.ee/grandslamminpadres.
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