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Analysis: Pirates players see Bryan Reynolds' contract as the opening of a window to win
When Pittsburgh Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said it was “definitely inside the realm of possibility” that they could sign a player to a nine-figure contract in late February, it raised some eyebrows.
Mostly, it drew eye rolls.
The Pirates have pushed their share of five-year plans on fans, selling hope that winning days were ahead without making a long-term financial commitment to their players. That changed when they signed third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to a team-friendly, eight-year contract worth $70 million before the 2022 home opener.
When the Pirates — sitting in first place in the NL Central — topped that franchise-record deal Tuesday by agreeing to an eight-year, $106.75 million contract that locks up star outfielder Bryan Reynolds through at least the 2030 season, it signaled that the plan promised by general manager Ben Cherington is starting to come into view.
“It’s great to keep a player like him,” Hayes said. “It creates excitement for the locker room, it creates excitement for the fans and just the overall attitude of what we’re trying to do. Whenever you sign a guy like that long term, it shows the commitment to the words they’re saying.”
Ke’Bryan Hayes on what Bryan Reynolds agreeing to an eight-year contract means to the Pirates. pic.twitter.com/wQYWWwh0nr— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) April 25, 2023
That it required the 28-year-old Reynolds, a 2021 All-Star who repeatedly has stated his desire to remain with the Pirates, requesting a trade and expressing his displeasure with the $50 million gap in negotiations at the start of spring training was another black eye for an organization that has endured plenty of bad publicity under Nutting’s stewardship.
Yet Cherington refused to acquiesce to the trade demand by asking for an astronomical return. By keeping the negotiating door cracked after Reynolds’ self-imposed Opening Day deadline, Cherington showed the Pirates weren’t resorting to doing business as usual after unloading All-Stars Starling Marte, Josh Bell and Adam Frazier and starting pitchers Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon for prospects the past three years.
That Nutting, who once proclaimed he wanted Andrew McCutchen to be a Pirate for life only to trade the popular five-time All-Star outfielder, personally got involved was another positive development that proved it wasn’t all about the bottom line. Nutting had a face-to-face conversation with Reynolds at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., hoping to soothe any hard feelings and ensure that both sides wanted a fair deal.
“That’s awesome for Reynolds, just to be extended here and to be the face of the franchise. I know that’s what everybody in this clubhouse wanted for him, and that’s exactly what he wanted for himself,” Pirates pitcher JT Brubaker said. “For him to do it with the Pirates and to be with us for this long journey, especially with what we’re doing right now, that’s exciting for multiple years to come now.
“It’s a plan us as players have seen glimpses of. The glimpses we see, we know where we can be. Everything is coming full circle. It feels like we’re right here. Locking those guys down, we’re on the cusp of being around for awhile.”
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With Hayes and Reynolds as the cornerstones — making a combined $23 million in 2029, which should be an absolute bargain — the Pirates are building a core of young talent. Shortstop Oneil Cruz, right-hander Roansy Contreras, outfielder Jack Suwinski and infielders Ji Hwan Bae, Rodolfo Castro and Tucupita Marcano won’t become arbitration-eligible until 2026 or reach free agency until 2029.
The Pirates should be active in trying to extend both Contreras and Cruz long before then. If Cruz recovers from his fractured left ankle as expected, he could be the next candidate for a $100 million deal.
Through the draft and trades, Cherington has added a handful of top-10 prospects in catchers Henry Davis and Endy Rodriguez, infielders Nick Gonzales, Liover Peguero and Termarr Johnson who should be reaching the majors over the next few seasons.
The Pirates also have years of club control remaining with starting pitcher Mitch Keller, who should be targeted for a long-term deal. All-Star closer David Bednar, who becomes eligible for arbitration after this season, is another contract extension candidate.
All-Star closer David Bednar reacts to Bryan Reynolds signing an 8-year contract and what it means to the Pirates’ future. pic.twitter.com/hmkEkFnzBG— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) April 25, 2023
“It’s exciting. When you come to the locker room and see familiar faces, you get to build on that with guys, build that relationship on and off the field,” Bednar said. “I think that it only makes it better as you go on. It’s really cool. Everybody in the locker room wants to win. That’s what we’re all about. To see the backing of that even more so.”
The control over the young core gives the Pirates a window to contend for the playoffs and, as Nutting promised, their first World Series championship since 1979. Any playoff talk is a bit premature, despite the excitement surrounding their 16-7 start, given that they are coming off back-to-back 100-loss seasons.
But the Pirates are trending in the right direction.
Cherington vowed they would spend to supplement the roster when they believed the time was right, and he signed six free agents to one-year deals worth more than $30 million and added a pair of veterans through trades this offseason. The impact of McCutchen, first baseman/designated hitters Ji-Man Choi and Carlos Santana, catcher Austin Hedges, starting pitchers Rich Hill and Vince Velasquez and outfielder/first baseman Connor Joe has been invaluable.
“I think we’ve had a process in place. The one thing that’s the most important, and again, this goes back to people signing here externally and coming in is people want to be here,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton, who recently agreed to a contract extension beyond 2023. “They’re trusting the process that Ben has put in place and how he’s laid it out in the conversations. That’s really important as we move forward. Whether it’s our own internal guys that come through our system, or the guys that we bring in, the process is in place, it’s very clear and when it’s laid out, people decide that they want to be part of it.”
Knowing that Reynolds will be the centerpiece of that core gives the Pirates proof that the plan is playing out the way Cherington and Shelton promised, even if the process tested everyone’s patience and willpower.
“I think it’s really important that organizationally we’re aligned and player-wise we’re aligned,” Shelton said. “That’s why you have to have a lot of conversations, and that’s why there has to be a lot of people that have conversations. That starts from the top down.”
There’s no guarantee that the Pirates’ process will work, but the signing of Reynolds is an eye-opener that makes winning as part of the next five-year plan definitely within the realm of possibility.
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