Pirates A to Z: Bryan Reynolds got long-term contract, off to strong start in streaky season

During the offseason, the Tribune-Review will offer Pirates A to Z, an alphabetical, player-by-player look at the 40-man roster.

Player: Bryan Reynolds

Position: Outfielder

Bats: Both

Throws: Right

Age: 28

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 205 pounds

2023 MLB statistics: Batted .263/.330/.460 with 31 doubles, five triples, 24 home runs and 84 RBIs in 145 games.

Contract: Signed to an eight-year, $106.75 million contract through 2030.

Acquired: From the San Francisco Giants, along with pitcher Kyle Crick, in exchange for outfielder Andrew McCutchen in January 2018.

This past season: In a tumultuous offseason, Reynolds requested a trade in November 2022 after he asked for an eight-year contract extension at $134 million while the Pirates countered with six years and $80 million.

The Pirates refused to acquiesce to his demands, however, and Reynolds reported to spring training. But he wasn’t shy about voicing his displeasure with the negotiations.

“I think I’ve been pretty open these last few years that my No. 1 would be to sign an extension in Pittsburgh,” Reynolds said. “I want that to be a fair deal for both sides. Not one side or the other. Not a crazy player, not a crazy team deal. That’s always been my No. 1.”

Pirates chairman Bob Nutting personally sought out Reynolds at Pirate City, talking with him before batting practice in a public display of soothing any hard feelings. Reynolds set an Opening Day deadline to get a new contract completed.

When that deadline passed without a new deal, Reynolds took his frustrations out on opposing pitchers.

Reynolds hit safely in the Pirates’ first nine games, including a trio of three-hit performances. He started the season by going 2 for 8 in the first two games but credited the surge to a change to his approach in the opening weekend finale at Cincinnati.

Reynolds hit his first home run of the season in his second at-bat, a 410-foot shot in the fourth inning of the 3-1 loss to the Reds. It was the first of four homers in a three-day span, as Reynolds went back-to-back April 2 against the Boston Red Sox and added another the next day.

It’s a slugfest at Fenway! Here’s the second homer of the night for Bryan Reynolds. ⚾️???????? pic.twitter.com/v0lkMXA0NE

— The Comeback (@thecomeback) April 4, 2023

Then Reynolds went 3 for 5 and tied a career-best with six RBIs in the 13-9 win over the Chicago White Sox in the home opener at PNC Park, finishing a double shy of hitting for the cycle.

“Timing is big for me,” Reynolds said. “I think the last game of the first series, I think I tried to overemphasize it a little extra, almost treat it like a two-strike approach from the start of the at-bat so I get down more in my legs earlier and down earlier and everything. It felt good so I just kept doing it.”

In the opening week of the season, Reynolds led the National League with 12 hits, 28 total bases, nine runs, 12 RBIs and a 1.120 slugging percentage, tying for the NL lead with four home runs and ranking second with a .480 batting average. He was rewarded by being named MLB player of the week.

“I just hoped that I could hit the ground running,” Reynolds said. “I’d say it’s a good start so far.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton credited the work Reynolds put in with hitting coach Andy Haines in the offseason for helping make sure his swing was in the right spot for spring training. So, Shelton had Haines inform Reynolds he’d won the MLB player of the week honors.

“He’s right on things. I think that’s the big thing,” Shelton said. “I do think the fact that we’ve lengthened our lineup out helps him, too. There’s not as much pressure on him. When you take pressure off that and you give him pitches to hit, he’s gonna do some damage. I think we’ve seen that.”

Pirates chairman Bob Nutting addresses Bryan Reynolds about signing the star outfielder to an 8-year, $106.75 million contract. pic.twitter.com/RFkzbsgsYI

— Kevin Gorman (@KevinGormanPGH) April 27, 2023

Two weeks later, Reynolds got his real payoff.

The Pirates signed him to a franchise-record, eight-year, $106.75 million contract extension, meeting Reynolds in the middle of his initial request after a 45-minute private meeting with Nutting. It signaled that they view him as a franchise cornerstone, along with third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes.

“Bryan Reynolds having the ability to be here long-term, I think, is really important and it means a lot to us,” Shelton said. “There’s been a lot of conversation over the last month and a half between Bryan’s people and our baseball ops people. I think it was important that Bryan and (Pirates chairman) Bob (Nutting) talked, and that happened, and I think that was vital. I’m a big Bryan Reynolds fan, so hopefully he’ll be a Pirate for a while.”

“Ultimately you pursue these things because you trust the player,” general manager Ben Cherington said. “We trust Bryan. At a basic level we trust Bryan because of what he’s already done. We trust him because of the way he plays. We trust him because of the choices he makes on and off the field. We trust him because we know how hard he’s working to continue to get better all the time. We trust his focus. We trust his toughness.

“Not only does that show up on the field, but that showed up through this process. Bryan himself demonstrated focus and toughness through this process. For all those reasons, we trust Bryan. When you really feel that way, that gives you a confidence to pursue it and make these kinds of recommendations.”

Reynolds showed his streaky side. From April 13-21, he batted .182 with 11 strikeouts in nine games. From April 22-May 6, he batted .400 with 10 doubles and a 1.097 OPS. Through the Pirates’ first 31 games, Reynolds ranked sixth in the National League in batting (.322), ninth in RBIs (23) and 10th in slugging (.568).

“What I did at the beginning isn’t sustainable, so if I can have spurts like that, then just normal spurts throughout, then it will even out to be pretty good,” Reynolds said. “If I can stay right here as my baseline, then mix in some hot spells, that’s a good recipe for success.”

Bryan Reynolds clears the bases and then ends up with a little league homer! He’s on another level right now! pic.twitter.com/pLqlanByNX

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 7, 2023

Reynolds was right. He slashed .320/.353/.573 with nine doubles, five homers and 23 RBIs in March and April but followed that by batting .242 in May and .268 in June, when he dealt with low back inflammation that required a stint on the 10-day injured list.

After hitting a career-best 27 home runs in 2022, Reynolds went through a dry spell. After hitting five home runs in the first seven games, including four in a three-day span, he went homerless for 35 games from April 7 until May 19.

He didn’t lose his sense of humor.

“I’ve just got no pop, so when I get one it’s a double,” Reynolds deadpanned. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get another one. I’ll just keep hitting doubles, I guess.”

Reynolds finished tied with Hayes and Connor Joe for the team lead in triples and was second to Jack Suwinski in homers, with 24. It marked the third consecutive season Reynolds hit at least 24 homers. And Reynolds led the Pirates with 84 RBIs.

But he fared better on the road than at PNC Park, slashing .280/.332/.516 with 16 doubles, four triples, 16 homers and 48 RBIs in 75 away games while hitting .244 with eight homers and 36 RBIs in 70 home games.

Reynolds followed a rough July — he slashed .200/.240/.337 in 23 games — by hitting seven homers with 16 RBIs in August and five homers and 19 RBIs over his final 26 games.

WHAT A GRAB pic.twitter.com/v2kIUExt4t

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 16, 2023

The future: Shifting from center field back to left was designed to reduce the wear and tear on Reynolds, and he played 145 games for the second consecutive season and made a number of spectacular catches, including a couple to prevent home runs.

But his numbers at the plate were better in the 16 games Reynolds played center (he slashed .320/.351/.623) and the 19 games he served as designated hitter (.276/.337/.408) than in the 115 games in left (.255/.325/.441), which can be attributed to the small sample sizes.

With Reynolds scheduled to make $10 million in 2024, the Pirates need more pop out of him. The return of a healthy Oneil Cruz at the leadoff spot should help tremendously, as would Hayes batting behind him the way he did over the final 49 games (.299/.335/.539 with 15 doubles, 10 homers and 29 RBIs).

Regardless, Reynolds enters next season as one of the centerpieces for the Pirates — without contract concerns hanging over his head — and looking to show that he can provide production with consistency.