Ben Cherington was asked on the field at PNC Park Wednesday afternoon what is going on with Bryan Reynolds at the moment.
"He's playing well," the general manager said with a smirk.
Well played. But in terms of that potential nine-figure, franchise-record contract that came oh so close to being completed on opening day, but hit a snag at the last moment...
"Nothing to report," Cherington said, making his first public comments on Reynolds since the start of the season. "I’d just be saying the same things I said before. He’s someone we’d love to see here for a long time. He’s really important to what we’re doing. Appreciate him a lot as a player. There’s just nothing more to report than that. From his play, it looks like he’s focused on the season. We’re focused on supporting him.
"If there’s anything more to talk about, we’ll keep that between him and us."
At the last update, Reynolds and the Pirates were in agreement in terms of dollars for a contract that would add seven years and $100 million in new money in addition to the $6.75 million he is making in 2023. However, the deal hinges on a player opt-out, which Reynolds' camp proposed for after the 2026 season. Negotiations hit a wall there, and both sides have been quiet since then.
Reynolds said in spring training he wanted the deal to be done by the regular season opener, but neither side walked away from the table after failing to reach that deadline. Cherington reiterated Wednesday that the team doesn't have a policy that negotiations stop once the regular season starts.
"Out of respect to players and the team, we try to keep those conversations to the offseason and spring training," Cherington said. "But if it makes sense for all parties to have a conversation during the season, there’s no policy against that. We’re open to that."
It sounds like that if these details are hammered out, it will be close to the chest. A lack of new details can be potentially frustrating for people wanting any update, but not always particularly productive for getting that deal done.
"I think we just have to focus on what we can control," Cherington said. "Doing the best job we can to communicate. On a topic like that, it's just our choice to have our communication be direct with players and agents and keep it there. Again, we respect Bryan Reynolds a lot. Love him as a player. We want him to be here for a long time. That would be the best outcome."
MORE FROM THE GM
• Cherington declined to comment if Reynolds' early-season performance could impact the financial side of an agreed upon deal. Reynolds has opened the season on a tear, being named the National League player of the week last week and entering the day with a .356 batting average, 1.145 OPS and a National League leading five home runs and 14 RBIs.
• Cherington offered no firm update on JT Brubaker and Mike Burrows, outside of saying "both guys are gonna be out for a while."
Later Wednesday, the team would announce Brubaker will be out 14-16 months after undergoing right elbow surgery.
"He’s gonna overcome this elbow injury and get back," Cherington said. "We’re gonna support him."
The Pirates came into the year with more starting pitcher depth than they have had in years past, but losing a reliable starter and a top 10 prospect so early takes a toll on that depth chart.
While they are always going to look at who is available, the main focus is going to be internally, like how Johan Oviedo has stepped up so far in a starter role.
"It’ll be an opportunity for guys in the minor leagues to step up, too," Cherington said. "Last April, I certainly wasn’t anticipating Luis Ortiz making starts in the big leagues for us. He eventually did. That means there could be another guy who we’re not thinking about right now who has a chance to emerge. There really is that opportunity. We’ll do whatever we can to help guys take the next step."
• Speaking of injuries, on offense, the focus is replacing Oneil Cruz, who is out four months after having surgery on his fractured ankle.
Mark Mathias is taking his spot on the roster for now, with the Pirates opting for him over the white-hot Tucupita Marcano partially because the Pirates have a long stretch against lefty starters and right-handers with reverse splits. Therefore, they wanted the right-handed utilityman instead of the left-handed one, at least for now.
"Mathias has been having good at bats in Indy and is a guy we obviously liked and acquired in spring training," Cherington said. "He's a smart baseball player. He's a mature baseball player. Does a lot of good things and we just sought a role for him in the short term and we'll see how that plays out. There are other guys in Indy we certainly wouldn't hesitate to call up at some point if there's a need."
Based on the information the Pirates have, they believe Cruz will make a full recovery after this surgery, and that it doesn't necessarily mean he will have to move off of shortstop.
They also aren't going to slow down that rehab in the event that the club is out of contention come mid-August.
"When he's ready to play at the major league level, he's going to be back here on that day, whenever that day is."
• Marcano is one just a handful of prospects fans should look forward to who started the year in Class AAA Indianapolis. That includes Endy Rodriguez, Ortiz, Quinn Priester, Nick Gonzales, Jared Triolo and Travis Swaggerty.
In Swaggerty's case, the decision to send the outfielder to the minors was "one of the tougher conversations in spring," but that they ultimately wanted him to get everyday reps.
"It's exciting to see how he's responded in Triple-A and how he continues to do the things we're asking him to do," Cherington said about Swaggerty.
As for the other prospects, promotions (outside of replacing players for injury) are still going to be driven by what they feel is right for the player and right for the team.
"It's still anchored by, 'what is this player working on?' Where are the skills and where is that going to translate to the major leagues? You can call up a player anytime, it doesn't mean they're going to win a game. So we try to get that right first. If we believe the player is in position to play a role that helps us win a game, then that's going to drive that decision."
