The Pittsburgh Pirates were finally able to retain homegrown talent.
Notorious for trading Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, Joe Musgrove, Gerrit Cole, Austin Meadows, Shane Baz, Tyler Glasnow, Josh Bell, and many more stars through the years, the Pirates finally committed big bucks to one of their young stars.
They extended outfielder Bryan Reynolds to an eight-year, $106.75 million deal that will keep him in Pittsburgh through the entire decade.
Reynolds is an All-Star outfielder with an OPS of .800 or better in four of his five years in MLB, including the current campaign.
Pirates insider Jason Mackey posted a fragment of the press release the Pirates made public after the agreement, with some quotes from owner Bob Nutting.
Here’s part of the release, with a statement from Pirates owner Bob Nutting: pic.twitter.com/BiuHwetlm2
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) April 26, 2023
Nutting made it clear he and the Pirates organization value Reynolds highly both as a player and as a person, and said he is a big part of the franchise’s future success.
Indeed, Reynolds has been the best and most consistent Pirates hitter and player ever since he made the big leagues in 2019.
He wasn’t around for the last time Pittsburgh had a positive record (2018) or made the playoffs (2015).
He will be around for when the franchise achieves both of those things again.
That could very well be this season.
The Bucs are leading the NL Central division with a 16-8 record and a +24 run differential.
They have been surprisingly competitive even after losing Oneil Cruz to a long-term injury.
Baseball, without a doubt, needs teams like the Pirates competing for a spot in the postseason.
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Pirates Post Must-See Bryan Reynolds Hype Video
