How the Mariners could complete a 3 team trade for Bryan Reynolds

Bryan Reynolds Trade #1: Dodgers+Mariners+Pirates

In this first trade possibility, the Mariners would get Reynolds to solidify their outfield, the Dodgers would strengthen their bullpen, and the Pirates would get a haul of prospects. From a Dodgers perspective, they get a new closer who is coming off of back-to-back sub-3 ERA and FIP seasons as the Pirates closer. In Los Angeles, he could become an elite closer for one of the best teams in baseball, and they would get Diego Castillo to lengthen their bullpen.

The Pirates would be adding lots of talent that are close to the big leagues in this deal. They have some key young players already at the big league level in Oneil Cruz and Ke’Bryan Hayes, so adding players closer to the big leagues gives them the ability to have a loaded prospect wave. They would get four young pitchers who have all pitched at the double-A level or higher, and they all could be starters.

Matt Brash and Ryan Pepoit could both start for the Pirates from the start of the season, and Emerson Hancock and Gavin Stone could be ready in the second half of the year or in 2024 for sure barring injuries. That gives Pittsburgh four potential starters who all have flashed mid-rotation or better stuff at times.

On top of those four pitchers, they would also get Jarred Kelenic who has clearly lost some of his shine but is just 23 years old and has tremendous potential. The Pirates also have a lot of talented outfielders or outfield prospects. Kelenic could still pop for the Pirates, and they would be able to offer him the opportunity to play every day for them. He could fill in directly for Reynolds in center for them and get consistent at-bats.

Pittsburgh would also get Harry Ford who is a catcher for now, but due to the Pirates having Henry Davis in the system, they could move Ford to the outfield if they choose to. Having catching depth is never a problem, and getting one of the most athletic catchers in the minor leagues would not hurt the Pirates who are trying to build a young talented team.

So why would the Pirates do this? If Reynolds is very unhappy with the Pirates organization, which would not be surprising as they have not won over 80 games since 2018, then Pittsburgh should seriously think about trading him now because he has tons of value now. If the Pirates wait to trade him, he will only lose value. Trading three years of Reynolds would net them a haul, if they wait, they risk injury to Reynolds or a decrease in performance.

 Bryan Reynolds Trade #2: Phillies+Mariners+Pirates

We all saw the Phillies get to the World Series this year behind their great offense led by Bryce Harper. Their pitching was not good enough to get them to the top of the mountain, so acquiring David Bednar would give them someone who can come in as a real closer and push the rest of their relievers down into better roles. As a playoff team, there are never enough strong bullpen arms that can be added to your team, and Bednar in Philly gives them that closer they need.

This trade is similar to the previous one because the Mariners would be giving up the same four players, but the Phillies would be giving up Mick Abel and Johan Rojas. Abel is actually a local product who was drafted out of an Oregon high school in 2020. As a first-round pick, he brings with him a high upside. At just 21 years old, he reached AA at the end of last season and is probably a year and a half to two years away from the big leagues.

Abel, Brash, and Hancock would give the Pirates three young starting capable pitchers. The Pirates are known to be an organization that values cost-controllable talent, and having three pitchers who have a combined 18 years of control is incredibly valuable. Brash has proven to be at least a nasty reliever at the big league level, but he also could start on a Pirates team that needs him.

To go along with those pitchers, Johan Rojas is a 22-year-old outfielder. He has plus speed and defense abilities that rank him inside the top five of the Phillies system. He played half of the season in high-A ball, so he is closer to the big leagues than a recent draftee would be. If the Pirates felt like they needed more in a deal for Reynolds, the Mariners could include a competitive balance pick to give them another young draft prospect to add to their organization.

Bryan Reynolds Trade #3: Yankees+Mariners+Pirates

The Yankees are the third-best possible fit for the third team in this deal because they are a perennial playoff team, and could use a new closer after Aroldis Chapman had a down year and is now a free agent. Acquiring Bednar would give them a closer for the next four seasons, which is incredibly valuable. The Yankees would not have to give up any of their shortstop prospects, but they would be dealing two of their outfield prospects.

Spencer Jones was just drafted by the Yankees in the first round of the 2022 draft out of Vanderbilt, and the Pirates drafted Reynolds out of Vanderbilt as well, so they could have their eye on him. He is a tall 6-foot-7 power lefty who projects as a right fielder, but he did play some first base in college because he was a two-way player in high school but had arm surgery before going to college.

Everson Pereira is a right-handed outfielder from Venezuela who reached double-A last year and has average or better tools across the board. He would make this package interesting because he probably has the best chance to stick in center field.

In this trade package, the Pirates would be adding three young outfielders who are at different stages of their development, but Kelenic could start 2023 in their outfield, Pereira could join him in 2024, and Jones may be ready the following year. That gives them improved outfield depth in the coming years at all three positions possibly. They also could move Harry Ford out there and give them another outfield option down the road.

The reason that adding a third team could make a Bryan Reynolds trade work is that one team is unlikely to give up more than four prospects for one player. Even if Reynolds was traded to a different team than the Mariners, that team is probably not going to give the Pirates more high-level prospects. The Pirates may find a team with prospects that they like better than Seattle’s, but having a third team gives them the opportunity to get more high-level talent.

The Mariners would be giving up a lot here, but there is still room to negotiate. If the Pirates are not fans of Emerson Hancock, then Bryce Miller or Taylor Dollard could fill his place in a trade. The Pirates may want to get two of those three players to make this package even bigger. These are just a few scenarios where the Mariners could land the star outfielder in a unique three-team deal. As previously mentioned, acquiring Reynolds will be difficult, but would make them significantly better.