Something is holding up a Bryan Reynolds extension, but even the man who broke the news isn’t entirely sure what it is.
Reynolds requested a trade this offseason, and the Pirates responded by asking for a massive return in trade talks. Reynold ultimately indicated that he just wants a fair contract, and it appears there’s some momentum towards a deal.
Audacy MLB insider Jon Heyman reported Thursday that there was an agreement on money, but a “major conceptual issue” was impeding things. Appearing on “The Fan Morning Show” Friday morning, Heyman speculated on what that issue could be.
“I can only guess what that means," Heyman said. "Yeah, I’ve heard they have an agreement on the dollars, on the terms. I’ve heard the word structural, I’ve heard conceptual. If I were to guess, it could be something like an opt-out, because that would be important to players, you see how valuable a tool that is for players to (have that) option. That would be my guess, something like that.
“But they seem to be agreeing on the dollars, to me that means the years too. So, something like (an opt-out) I would think would be a sticking point. I don’t see a no-trade as a sticking point, that’s something to me that's of some value but not of incredible value – if he’s traded, he’d be traded to a contender, right? So it wouldn’t be that terrible to be traded, so I don’t see that as a sticking point. But again, I’m just speculating on what it is, something that’s important obviously, but not involving the money or the years.”
It’s not clear if Reynolds and the Pirates are going to continue talks into the season, something most players prefer not to do.
The Pirates reportedly offered Reynolds a six-year, $80 million deal over the offseason, which would have made him the highest-paid player in team history. The Athletic reported that Reynolds countered with an eight-year, $134 million request, then made the trade request after the Pirates declined to budge.
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