That Bryan Reynolds requested a trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates was brushed off as the business side of baseball by two of his teammates Friday morning before a team event at PNC Park.

All-Star closer David Bednar doesn’t expect Reynolds to be a disruption when the Pirates report to Bradenton, Fla., for spring training in February, if the club holds true to its claim that his trade request will have “zero impact” on their “decision-making this offseason or in the future.”

“Honestly, there’s not even a worry a little bit of that being an issue,” Bednar said. “Regardless, he’s going to come in and play. Bryan’s a great teammate and a great player, so as far as that being a distraction, I’m not worried about that even a little bit.”

Jack Suwinski, who often played next to Reynolds in the outfield, said he hasn’t talked to Reynolds since the season ended and doesn’t know much more than what has been reported.

Both Bednar and Suwinski appreciated how Reynolds handled the highs and lows of last season, when he signed a two-year, $13.5 million deal then batted .194 in April and .225 in May before slashing .333/.379/.610 with eight home runs and 19 RBIs in June.

“I obviously love playing with him, knowing who he was before I got here and then coming here and creating that relationship with him,” Suwinski said. “A great person, fun to be around, a funny guy. He’s obviously a really good player on the field, as well. Just watching him do his thing this year, the way he handled himself when things were tough and then seeing him come around and seeing what he can do.

“We love having him, love watching him on the field and I love him as a friend.”

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Reynolds, who turns 28 on Jan. 27, was an All-Star and finalist for the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards in 2021. He led the Pirates in most major offensive categories last season, with a .262/.345/.461 slash line, 19 doubles, four triples, a career-best 27 home runs, 62 RBIs and 74 runs scored.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the Pirates offered Reynolds a contract extension with the highest dollar value in franchise history, one that would have surpassed the eight-year, $70 million deal that third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes signed last April.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington discussed Reynolds on the MLB Network on Tuesday at the Winter Meetings and reiterated that the club plans to keep him. Reynolds is under contract for 2023, then has two more years of arbitration remaining before he can become a free agent.

“I suppose selfishly we’d rather these things not be out there, but I’ll be stubborn on two things,” Cherington said. “One is in my belief in Bryan Reynolds. We really love him as a player. He plays the game the way we need, with a level of tenacity that we appreciate. Our first choice is that Bryan Reynolds is a Pirate for a long time, so I’ll continue to be stubborn about that. And I’ll continue to be stubborn about any conversations that we have with a player. We’ll keep those between us and a player. Our focus hasn’t changed: It’s just to get better.”

One major change in baseball since Reynolds made his trade request is the New York Mets agreed to an eight-year deal worth $162 million with outfielder Brandon Nimmo, whose numbers are comparable to those of Reynolds. Nimmo, who turns 30 in March, slashed .274/.367/.433 with 30 doubles, seven triples, 16 homers, 64 RBIs and scored 102 runs last season.

That deal could force the Pirates to increase their offer or create a stronger trade market for Reynolds, who isn’t a vocal leader but sets an example for his teammates with his work ethic and style of play.

“He comes to the yard and plays hard every single day,” Bednar said of Reynolds. “That’s an invaluable trait to have. Switch-hitting All-Stars, they don’t just hand those out. He’s a great player. I’m not worried about the distraction part of it at all.”

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