Not long after extending the contract of Manager Derek Shelton, the Pittsburgh Pirates locked up another key piece of their future Tuesday afternoon as well.
Outfielder Bryan Reynolds and the club have come to terms on an 8 year, $106.75M contract extension. The deal is the largest in franchise history and the first to eclipse the $100M plateau for Pittsburgh.
The Pirates front office and Reynolds camp had been going back and forth on a new deal since spring training. However, the club’s willingness to include a 6 team limited no-trade clause was evidently enough to get the deal across the finish line this week.
Reynolds, 28, currently leads the team in home runs (5), RBIs (18), average (.294), slugging (.553) and hits (25). His previous deal saw him earning $13.5M across two years, making the former All-Star one of the best bargains in all of baseball. His 14 wins above replacement over his 5 year career puts him 34th in the majors in that regard.
His new deal also includes a team option for a 9th year, and could potentially tie him to the Pirates through to 2032.
If not for the Tampa Bay Rays 20-3 record, the Pirates, coming off back to back 100+ loss seasons, would have the best record in MLB. Instead, they’ll have to settle for the best record in the National League at 16-7, due in large part to Reynolds’ equally hot start.
Dollars and cents wise, his new pact includes a $2 million signing bonus on top of the $6.75 million he was scheduled to make this season and will pay him $10 million next year, $12 million in 2025, $14 million in 2026, $15 million each year from 2027 to 2030 and has a $20 million option with a $2 million buyout for 2031.
Reynolds, third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, and Manager Derek Shelton are currently the only Pirates under contract beyond 2023.
However, if the team’s hot start translates into a postseason berth, Reynolds could be just the tip of the iceberg in terms of new money doled out this season. Shortstop Oneil Cruz, reliever David Bednar, and 27 year old RHP Mitch Keller could also be in line for big pay days in the near future as well.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: Britt Reints. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.