Inside The Pinstripes

Pirates Want Pitching in Bryan Reynolds Trade; What it Means For Yankees

Trade talks between the Yankees and Pirates could be at an impasse based on this development from an MLB insider.

Max Goodman

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While the Yankees and Pirates continue to negotiate a possible Bryan Reynolds trade this offseason, an obstacle has emerged.

Not only is Pittsburgh under no pressure to move their All-Star outfielder—even after Reynolds requested to be traded this winter—but New York might not be able to give the Pirates what they're looking for in a package of prospects.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Pirates want starting pitchers to headline the return if they do decide to move Reynolds. That's an issue for New York, an organization that is loaded with position players at the top of their farm system.

Like any team, New York has young pitchers that are either in the big leagues or knocking on the door in the upper levels of their minor league system. After this year's trade deadline, however, the biggest names are no longer within the organization.

The Yankees parted ways with top pitching prospect Ken Waldichuk, right-hander Luis Medina and lefty JP Sears in the Frankie Montas trade with the Athletics, they moved No. 2 pitching prospect Hayden Wesneski to the Cubs in exchange for Scott Effross and three more pitching prospects were sent to Kansas City for Andrew Benintendi.

At this point, only three of the Yankees' top-10 prospects are pitchers. Right-handers Will Warren, Clayton Beeter and Luis Gil are ranked eighth, ninth and 10th within the organization, per MLB Pipeline. Beeter was acquired in the Joey Gallo trade with the Dodgers earlier this year (and pitched extremely well with Double-A Somerset to finish the season) while Gil recently underwent Tommy John surgery after a promising first taste of big-league action in 2021.

Former top pitching prospect Clarke Schmidt is a candidate to be included in trade talks. The right-hander has shown flashes at the big-league level, but has been relegated to the bullpen or Triple-A over the last few years, battling some injury adversity. That might continue in 2023 after New York added Carlos Rodón, filling a vacancy in their starting rotation with another ace. 

Then again, it wouldn't hurt to have Schmidt as a depth piece when adversity strikes down the road. The former first-rounder showed potential in the bullpen—posting a 2.74 ERA over 26 regular season games in relief this year—but struggled when it mattered most, allowing a walk-off and taking the loss in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Guardians.

The same can be said for righty Domingo Germán, a veteran who is out of minor league options. He wouldn't move the needle too much for a rebuilding club like the Pirates, but can immediately contribute to their MLB pitching staff.

It's hard to imagine that the Pirates would want an asset like Deivi García, who was once a top-100 prospect in all of baseball, but hasn't panned out. García has pitched his way to irrelevance over the last few years, missing time with an undisclosed injury while posting awful numbers (6.89 ERA over 20 appearances across two MiLB levels this year).

Other options could include Greg Weissert, Randy Vasquez and Matt Krook. All three are currently situated on New York's 40-man roster—Weissert made his MLB debut this season, but isn't a starter. 

It truly depends on what the Pirates are looking for and how they internally evaluate the Yankees' best prospects. Remember, these two clubs have negotiated multiple trades over the last several years, from Jameson Taillon to Clay Holmes. Pittsburgh is certainly familiar with what the Yankees have to offer. 

The Yankees can also circle back before the trade deadline next summer. Considering how quickly this team has been able to churn out quality pitchers from their farm system, a few new names could distinguish themselves this spring as the next wave of highly-touted arms that are ready for their next steps. 

For a player of Reynolds' caliber, it's no surprise the Pirates are in search of an astronomical package in trade talks. The switch-hitting outfielder is one year removed from a season in which he received MVP votes, slashing .302/.390/.522 with 6.1 fWAR in 159 games. This year, Reynolds set a new career-high with 27 home runs, hitting .262 over 145 games, his fourth season with Pittsburgh.

New York can tempt the Pirates with their surplus of top position players—like shortstop Anthony Volpe, outfielder Jasson Domínguez, shortstop Oswald Peraza and catcher Austin Wells. If Pittsburgh wants pitching, however, they're more likely to get a better package from another team.

Either way, the clock is ticking for Yankees general manager Brian Cashman as New York explores all options to bolster this roster in preparation for the 2023 season. Reynolds won't be available forever if the Pirates do decide to move him and the Yankees still need to find a starting left fielder.

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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