Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds reportedly wants to avoid dealing with the New York Yankees.
The New York Yankees, who toiled hard to acquire a left fielder in free agency, laid final hopes on Bryan Reynolds. Bryan, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ star outfielder, wanted to opt out of the contract and asked for a trade. However, the Pirates, adamant about keeping Bryan under the fold, ensured that they stalled every deal that came their way.
The Yankees, who approached Pittsburgh with eyes filled with hope, left highly disappointed after the latter put forth ridiculous demands. They asked for top prospects of the Yanks’ farm system in exchange for one outfielder, which the Yanks termed an unrealistic ask. Hence, the deal fell apart, and Bryan Reynolds stayed back with the Pirates for the time being.
Bryan Reynolds Unwilling To Sign With The Yankees Or Any Other Big City Club
The Pittsburgh Pirates and Bryan Reynolds have reached a stalemate in contract negotiations. Despite months of contemplation and high-level meeting, Bryan’s demands remain unfulfilled. However, instead of approaching any other team, the outfielder intends to continue with the Pirates till the end of his career. According to James Kratch of Elite Sports NY, Bryan is a family man with two kids and is a shy guy who wants to stay away from the glamour and the attention of big cities like New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles.
Hence, he seems to avoid contract negotiations with the New York Yankees as he does not wish to come to New York at all. He wants to live a quiet life in Pittsburgh and play with much fewer expectations and pressure. Moreover, James even decoded the reason behind the stalemate. He said Reynolds apparently wants a no-trade clause in his extended contract to secure his future. However, the Pirates are unsure if the outfielder will retain his form for that long. Hence, they are hesitant to include the no-trade clause. Thus, it remains to be seen where Bryan Reynolds lands eventually.
Aaron Hicks Loses The Left Field Job To Oswaldo Cabrera
After the Bryan Reynolds trade deal fell apart, the New York Yankees looked for internal solutions to end the left-field woes. They held a competition during the spring training and tested out multiple options. Moreover, Aaron Hicks, the veteran outfielder, emerged as the front-runner for the role despite public resentment. Regardless, the front office stayed adamant until utility player Oswaldo Cabrera stole the show.
Cabrera, who had a few starts as a left fielder in spring training, displayed impressive field play and put up good numbers with the bat as well. Hence, the Yankees switched sides last moment and started Oswaldo in the opening-day lineup instead of Hicks in the left field. However, skipper, Aaron Boone, confirmed that Hicks is very much intact in the team’s long-term plan for the season, and it’s certainly not the end of the road. Cabrera was given the opportunity to start purely on the basis of merit. But the future is uncertain, and the tables can turn quickly in the major league.
