When Bryan Reynolds passed Bryan Stroh in the hallway at PNC Park on Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder told the team’s senior vice president of baseball development not to trade him. When the trade deadline passed, Reynolds was relieved to still be a Pirate.
“So I guess that worked,” Reynolds said, with a laugh. “I’m glad to be here.”
Reynolds joked that he was trying to hide out on deadline day and teasing All-Star closer David Bednar of Mars about how both wanted to remain with the Pirates, even as they were mentioned in trade rumors.
“I’m really glad both of us got to stay where we wanted to be, so it worked out,” Reynolds said. “I wanted to stay. I get to stay, and Bednar gets to stay. We’ve got a young group with a lot of talent, so why not see what we can do?
“That’s the goal: We want to be a winning team. Obviously, I’d love to be a part of that. Hopefully, it’ll be sooner. I don’t see why we can’t. We’ve got the guys to make it sooner.”
The Pirates traded left-handed starter Jose Quintana and righty reliever Chris Stratton to the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night. When the trade deadline passed, Ke’Bryan Hayes was thrilled to look around the clubhouse and see Bednar and Reynolds, who both have All-Star selections on their resumes, were still with the team.
After signing an eight-year, $70 million contract in April, the 25-year-old third baseman knows he has long-term job security with the Pirates but wondered who would be involved in building around him.
“It’s great that they’re still here,” Hayes said. “They’re a big part of our team, a big part of our future. Hopefully, they’re here for the long haul. It sucks losing Quintana and Stratton, that veteran presence — especially for our pitchers — but I’m glad Bednar and Reynolds are still here. Having them stay here is a really big help for us.”
Bednar, who has a 2.70 ERA and a team-best 17 saves, hadn’t pitched since striking out two in the ninth inning of Friday’s 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. He was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with low back inflammation.
Reynolds is slashing .251/.331/.448 with 11 doubles, three triples, 15 home runs and 32 RBIs and leads the Pirates in homers, OPS (.779) and is tied for the team best in triples and RBIs.
Following the 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers that snapped a seven-game losing streak, Pirates manager Derek Shelton stressed the importance of retaining Bednar and Reynolds for the club’s future. Both had been the subject of trade talk, Reynolds before the season and Bednar after the break.
“There’s a lot of speculation out there all the time,” Shelton said. “And when you have players like that, people are going to inquire on them, and then you’re going to hear speculation. But it’s important that they’re still here. I mean, it’s really important. They’re two of our best players, guys that have been All-Stars over the last couple years. That’s an important part of our core.”
