Pirates’ demands in Bryan Reynolds Yankees trade even more ridiculous than we thought

The New York Yankees, no matter how hard they try to extricate themselves from the proceedings, remain one of the primary favorites in all Bryan Reynolds trade rumors.

If the Yankees ever seal the deal, though, it’ll be because the Pirates relented significantly. At the moment, all reports make it seem as if Reynolds requesting a trade has had no bearing on Pittsburgh’s asking price.

You know the deal. You’ve read the water-treading columns. High-end pitching is what Pittsburgh seeks, and despite some mid-December worries, we’re not talking about Nestor Cortes here.

The Yankees, on the other hand, can only offer (at best) shortstop Oswald Peraza, outfielder Jasson Dominguez, and (potential face of the franchise) Anthony Volpe, and likely don’t have much interest in adding any one of those names to their hypothetical trade packages.

According to MLB insider Jon Heyman in his Thursday column, it would take two of those prospects in a four-player package for the Yankees to match Pittsburgh’s request of a “Juan Soto-like” haul. Never going to happen.

Jon Heyman reports Pirates looking to plunder Yankees (and others) in Bryan Reynolds trade talks

Smash cut to the Pirates accepting the Astros’ offer of Colin Moran and young Joe Musgrove for Reynolds. Damn you, Buccos!

According to Heyman, the price really is as steep as rival executives are grousing about, and a trade deadline deal for Reynolds is more realistic than a midseason trade:

"The belief is that the Pirates seek at least three to four top prospects (the Nationals got five for Soto). From the Yankees, who would be interested, that would likely mean multiple players from the top group that includes Oswald Peraza, Anthony Volpe and Jasson Dominguez."

Reynolds requested the trade this time around, so he’s not “betting on himself” like Aaron Judge. He’d like to leave. Pittsburgh is the one betting that he’ll be much more like the 6-WAR version of himself that was on display in 2021, not the 3-WAR player who’s deigning to leave them high and dry after 2022.

Reynolds would be an excellent fit for the Yankees in a vacant left field, but a combination of incongruous packages and asking prices of “The Moon +” have left them behind the Texas Rangers, the most recent rumored landing spot for the All-Star outfielder.

Unlike the Yanks, the Rangers are flush with pitching, and Jack Leiter isn’t even their most highly-ranked pitching prospect entering 2023, according to Baseball America. That honor goes to Owen White, while Leiter, Kumar Rocker and Brock Porter round out the top 10.

If both the Rangers and Yankees go all in, Texas’ offer probably trumps Brian Cashman’s. If neither feels like giving away a Soto haul for a Soto-lite player, this might move slowly, giving New York a chance to reassess (and see what Ian Happ’s up to) in July.