The Pirates' haul for trading Gerrit Cole and Andrew McCutchen to World Series contenders did not include a single current Baseball America Top 100 prospect.
That could change, though, if Bryan Reynolds continues his ascent through the minor leagues. Reynolds, a 22-year-old outfielder, was ranked by Baseball America as the Giants' No. 5 prospect before he was dealt to the Pirates in the McCutchen trade on Monday.
A switch-hitter with power, speed and defensive ability, he's viewed as a future everyday outfielder in the major leagues and addresses one of the Pirates' greatest organizational needs.
"Bryan Reynolds is an intelligent, athletic, hard-working baseball prospect who does many things well on a baseball field," said Neal Huntington. "Bryan is an effective offensive player that also plays quality defense. We look forward to working with Bryan to maximize his tools and help him become a quality well-rounded major league player who can impact a game in many ways beyond his quality bat."
The Pirates' haul for Cole and McCutchen has its share of question marks. Joe Musgrove, a former top pitching prospect turned reliever, will return to the rotation after tanking as a starter last season.
Colin Moran, a promising 25-year-old third baseman, will try to prove his retooled swing can produce in the major leagues. Kyle Crick and Michael Feliz will join the Pirates bullpen, but both have issues with fastball command. Jason Martin, a 22-year-old outfielder, will likely start the season at Double-A Altoona.
However, it's Reynolds who could emerge as the biggest acquisition for the Pirates.
Reynolds was drafted in the second round by the Giants in 2016 after he batted .330/.461/.603 with 13 home runs in 62 games for Vanderbilt. He then had an impressive showing at both short-season Salem-Keizer and Low-A Augusta to finish the year.
Reynolds moved on to High-A San Jose in 2017, batting .312/.364/.462 with 10 home runs in 121 games, and he represented the Giants in the Futures Game in July.
"He's impressive to watch play every day," San Jose manager Nestor Rojas told Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com. "He's a good athlete with a good baseball IQ, good knowledge of the game from the first day he started here. All of his tools are solid, but he's got the work ethic to improve. It's impressive to see him through this."
More impressive, Reynolds hit from both sides of the plate, posting an OPS of .896 from the right side and .805 from the left. Additionally, his overall numbers were weighed down because of a slow start to the season.
Reynolds batted .253 in 23 games during April, but he posted a slash line of .332/368/.500 in 45 games in May and June. Although he didn't draw as many walks as he did during his collegiate career, Reynolds' plate discipline contributed to his progress, per Rojas.
"His approach is more consistent," Rojas said. "His pitch recognition is improving and is much better than last year, when I first had him [as a manager with Class A Augusta]. Both sides, too. It's an improving approach. He knows better now when he can try to hit one hard to the gap and when he needs to shorten up and just put the ball in play. It's made a difference."
According to MLB.com, Reynolds is now the Pirates' No. 4 prospect, ranking ahead of Moran, former first-round pick Ke'Bryan Hayes, Cole Tucker and Kevin Newman. He'll likely begin the season at Double-A Altoona and happens to play the one position the Pirates are most thin at.
Unless the Pirates address the need externally, either Adam Frazier, Sean Rodriguez or Jordan Luplow will start in left field. Austin Meadows, ranked by Baseball America as the club's No. 2 prospect, is likely bound for Triple-A after batting .250/.311/.359 in 72 games there this past season.
The club's only Baseball America Top 10 prospect outfielder is LoLo Sanchez, an 18-year-old who played his first professional season in the United States in 2017, batting .284 in 51 games in the Gulf Coast League.
Reynolds is viewed by many prospect evaluators as an outfielder with a high ceiling and high floor, meaning he could have the highest potential of any player acquired in the trades and at the very least will find a way to contribute in the major leagues.
He also projects as more of a corner outfielder, although he has above average speed, as his prospect report on MLB.com explains:
"Reynolds knows how to use his solid speed to his advantage on the bases and in center field. He gets good jumps and he should be able to stay in center. He's an average defender there and better on the corners, where he fits better in left field because he has a below-average arm."
Although Reynolds is not one of the four acquisitions who will impact the club's ability to contend in 2018, he could have the biggest effect on overall perception of the trade down the road.
He's unlikely to reach the major leagues until 2019, but with Gregory Polanco's dip in production and some uncertainty about whether Starling Marte can return to his previous form, Reynolds provides the Pirates with more insurance in the outfield.
Analyzing all six additions:
Monday: Joe Musgrove, starting pitcher
Wednesday: Colin Moran, third baseman
Thursday: Kyle Crick, relief pitcher
Friday: Michael Feliz, outfielder
Sunday: Jason Martin, outfielder
