By Tim Benz
https://triblive.com/sports/tim-benz-bryan-reynolds-tools-fixing-2-pirates-trades-at-once/
June 4, 2019
Bryan Reynolds doubles against the Giants in April. (Christopher Horner/Tribune-Review)
The defense of the Chris Archer trade always has been, and always will be, its intent.
It was a rare moment the Pirates went for it. A rare instance when they sacrificed prospects to get an established veteran, with a willingness to absorb salary in the process.
Criticism of that trade always will be rooted in its execution. Archer hasn’t been good enough. Meanwhile, when healthy, former Pirates Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows have been excellent in Tampa. Someday, former first-round pick Shane Baz may be, as well.
Enter Bryan Reynolds.
If the Pirates’ rookie outfielder continues on his upward trajectory, he may be good enough not only to make the Andrew McCutchen trade look reasonable, but he may mitigate the damage done in the Archer deal.
Reynolds is hitting .350 with five home runs and 17 RBIs this season. His OPS is .984, and his on-base percentage is .409.
Entering Monday night’s games, Reynolds had the best batting average, OPS and on-base percentage among rookies with at least 100 at-bats.
Part of the logic for dealing Meadows was that if the team decided to hold onto Corey Dickerson — which it did — after a solid first season in Pittsburgh, then Meadows may not have a place to play once Gregory Polanco returned from injury.
However, Dickerson has yet to play in 2019 because of a right-shoulder ailment. Meadows could’ve filled that void.
Instead, it’s been Reynolds — often in Dickerson’s normal left field position — saving the day. He has shown the promise general manager Neal Huntington noticed in him while making the McCutchen trade with San Francisco in January 2018.
At the time, Huntington described Reynolds as an “intelligent,” “athletic” and “hard-working” prospect he acquired along with pitcher Kyle Crick from the Giants for McCutchen.
“He does many things well on a baseball field,” Huntington added.
Reynolds has quickly lived up to his billing as a well-rounded, heady, “toolsy” player.
“I guess it depends on who you ask about me,” Reynolds chuckled, when asked about the scouting report on him. “Everybody has their opinions. I just try to play hard.”
At 24, Reynolds appears to be a guy who does everything above average, if not any one thing dynamically. The Vanderbilt product embodies a player whose glove, bat, speed and power all would rank 80-85 on a video-game scale of 1-100. But maybe nothing would be 100.
Except for his smarts and baseball instincts, which could be in the 99 range.
“I just love to watch him,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “You saw good bat to ball. You saw a guy who could stride out to get a ball in the outfield. You saw an arm that had carry on it. Usable speed on the bases. I thought it was a really good acquisition based on all the skills that you see. The switch-hitting part is very attractive. And the fact that he can play all three outfield positions.”
One of the questions surrounding Reynolds’ game is whether there is a skill set that may emerge and become identifiably special.
“I think I’ve got more power in the tank,” Reynolds said. “I’ve got the ability to steal. I just haven’t unlocked that yet. That’s mental more than anything. In college, I did a lot more of that. I ran a good amount. I haven’t done it that much in pro ball. I just need to let myself go.”
Hurdle doesn’t see that as bravado, but rather as a positive sign that there may be more in the well to pump for Reynolds.
“If he’s thinking it, then sure there is,” Hurdle quipped.
The manager pointed to Josh Bell’s power jump from Year 1 to Year 2 as evidence that Reynolds may be right to assume more home runs could come his way soon.
The emotional pinch of trading McCutchen and the financial reasons for the decision aside, the deal is working out better for the Pirates than what skeptics had reason to believe at the time. Not only has Reynolds been good, but since coming to Pittsburgh, Crick has a 2.25 ERA with 86 strikeouts in 80 innings.
Meanwhile, the Giants got McCutchen for 130 games of marginal production last year before dealing him to the Yankees.
So not only is Reynolds serving as a band-aid for Dickerson’s injury, but he also is helping to validate one trade while minimizing a kick to the teeth of another.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@tribweb.com or viaTwitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
Categories: Sports | Pirates | Tim Benz Breakfast With
MORE BREAKFAST WITH BENZ STORIES
No comments:
Post a Comment