Ben GamelĪs noted earlier, Gamel did nothing to distinguish himself, although he didn’t embarrass himself either. If Reynolds has no intentions of signing a long-term deal, and the Pirates could land a couple of top pitching prospects, maybe it would make sense to deal him now - rather than risk a slight downturn in his production - and continue to load up for when the next wave of prospects is ready to contribute in a big way. After all, look at the haul the Oakland A’s received for Matt Olson earlier this week. There was talk during the lockout that the club might be fielding trade offers for Reynolds, and I certainly wouldn’t fault them for at least listening. I wouldn’t be opposed to that, but perhaps Reynolds will want to see how this whole rebuilding process shakes out before hitching his wagon to the Pirates for any length of time. The 27-year-old switch-hitter, who also played a fine center field, is under contract through the 2025 season, and many Bucco fans are clamoring for ownership to sign him to a long-term deal that would make him the centerpiece of the club moving forward. But he bounced back in a big way last season, slugging 24 home runs, driving in 90 and hitting. Reynolds, who had an outstanding rookie season in 2019, stumbled badly in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, hitting just. Which leaves manager Derek Shelton in a bit of a tight spot, since it takes three players to man a Major League outfield. And none of the others can even measure up to that.
Ben Gamel, who appears ticketed for a starting spot in one of the corners, is the very definition of average, with an OPS+ of 100 in 2021. Of the eight outfielders listed heading into spring training, only one of them – Bryan Reynolds – could be considered a quality everyday player. A look at the outfield contingent on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 40-man roster is likely to scare Pirates fans much more than it will scare the opposition.
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