Thoughts on Bryan Reynolds and a potential deal with the Pirates
Jon Morosi's comments have created discussion amongst Mariners' Twitter, but how should we approach it? Let's take a look.
Jerry Dipoto’s lack of activity since the Kolten Wong trade has created interest at any sliver of a rumor from a national media member. If you haven’t already seen JP Morosi’s comments on 710 ESPN Seattle, you can check it out here.
His comments were straightforward, implying that the Mariners are in a better spot following Toronto’s trade for Daulton Varsho. He also listed Anthony Santander as a player of interest for Seattle if Reynolds is not attainable.
These comments caused a frenzy on Twitter, but is this much ado about nothing?
Reynolds is clearly a player that Seattle loves, something that I have heard from many people since last offseason. This offseason he asked for a trade from the Pirates, making a “highly coveted” player available.
I have written extensively about Reynolds in the past, and it is clear why Seattle loves him. He is essentially what the Mariners hoped that Jarred Kelenic would be, so clearly he is a fit. The 27-year-old is a career 126 WRC+ bat, which would add a significant amount of value to this team and this lineup. Because of this, there are also many other teams that could be in the running for Reynold’s services, including the Yankees, Dodgers, and likely the Texas Rangers.
This brings us back to Morosi’s comments pertaining to Seattle. The MLB Network reporter’s take is that Toronto’s trade not only took out a suitor for Reynolds but also the package for Varsho makes a deal more affordable.
He also mentions that if Pittsburgh would accept pitching prospect Emerson Hancock and Jarred Kelenic for Reynolds, this could be a way to get a deal done. All of this sounds great in theory, but I have some issues with these comments.
First of all, Morosi seems to be assuming in a lot of his comments. Seattle rarely leaks anything, so until a deal is made not many people usually know about it. It is hard to believe that Hancock and Kelenic could net a player like Reynolds, as this is a considerably worse package than the one that secured Varsho.
Reynolds is a better player, and the two players proposed to be heading to Pittsburgh are massive question marks. I would expect Kelenic to go in a deal but accompanied by Bryce Miller and Emerson Hancock AT MINIMUM. Matt Brash is also a player of interest in a deal like this.
Jerry Dipoto needs to be conscious in this deal not to overpay because they need to at least beat the package that Toronto sent to Arizona. I think this deal with Toronto shows us a framework for Seattle to get a deal done, and it certainly isn’t Kelenic and Hancock.
Much of Seattle’s willingness to do a deal has to be tied to how much they believe in Jarred Kelenic because at some point a deal is not worth it. Pittsburgh does not have to deal Reynolds, so Seattle would be smart to draw a line they are not willing to pass.
My overall thoughts are that these comments don’t mean much. The package going from Toronto to Arizona is still pretty hefty especially with the headliner being Gabriel Moreno.
The players that Pittsburgh is said to be targeting are high-level starting pitching, which most closely resembles Bryce Miller to me. Seattle and Pittsburgh have been in discussions for a while, so there is likely some intrigue between the two sides. It could take into February or March before Pittsburgh pulls the trigger on a deal here.
Reynolds is an awesome player that many teams will be coveting. As long as Seattle has a package they are not willing to exceed, I believe the thinking is sound. He is an impact player, but at some point, there has to be some thought given to moving on with Jarred Kelenic if the package becomes too heavy.
An overpay could be disastrous for Seattle, decimating a farm system for a player that is very good but not elite. Toronto acquiring Varsho does take away a suitor for Reynolds but doesn’t make the package Pittsburgh wants anything close to the one Morosi suggested.