Mark Madden's Hot Take: Pirates should give Bryan Reynolds what he wants

The Pirates and outfielder Bryan Reynolds have reportedly agreed on money and term, namely an eight-year contract that would pay $106.75 million. Reynolds has dropped his demands by over $27 million.

The sticking point: Reynolds wants an opt-out clause after the fourth year.

The Pirates should give it to him. Get the deal done.

That would guarantee the Pirates only one more year of control than they already have.

It’s said that Reynolds is willing to backload the deal. The Pirates would pay less till the opt-out. But Reynolds won’t opt out unless he knows he gets more elsewhere.

If Reynolds gets hurt or doesn’t perform to his earnings level, he won’t opt out and the Pirates are on the hook.

The opt-out sheds Reynolds’ risk.

It’s tough to blame Reynolds. He wants to see where his career’s at, and if the team maintains its alleged ambition.

If Reynolds hits 50 home runs in 2026 (he won’t) and the Pirates still stink (they might), Reynolds would want out.

There seems to be room to negotiate: Perhaps the opt-out could be after the fifth year. Maybe the Pirates could get an opt-out, too. (Reynolds is unlikely to agree to either, especially the latter.)

But, barring adjustment, the Pirates should give Reynolds what he wants. Get this situation over the finish line. Finalize the franchise’s first nine-figure contract.

The pact doesn’t have a no-trade clause. The Pirates could trade Reynolds. (They traded Andrew McCutchen.) A lot can happen in four years.

Cutting into even one year of Reynolds’ free agency seems a victory for the Pirates.

But holding up a new contract with your best player that has a team-friendly dollar figure because of an opt-out clause seems picayune. It makes you wonder if the Pirates really want to get the deal done. (That would be typical Pirates. “Well, we tried…)

Reynolds gave back a lot of money. He deserves something in return. What he wants is reasonable. (Unless he doesn’t want to get the deal done, either, and knows the Pirates won’t acquiesce to the opt-out. Maybe this is about not being the bad guy.)

Reynolds isn’t a superstar. He’s not McCutchen in his prime. He’s no MVP.

But he is the Pirates’ best player. At some point, you’ve got to keep your best player.

There’s no definite urgency to this. The Pirates, as noted, control Reynolds through 2025. But there does seem an emotional undercurrent of now or never.