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

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.