Jon Morosi had an update today on Bryan Reynolds, saying that the Pittsburgh Pirates would be looking for at least one top starting pitcher to headline a return, if they were to deal their star outfielder.
If #Pirates trade Bryan Reynolds this offseason, they’re looking for at least one top starting pitcher to headline the package — such as Bobby Miller (#Dodgers) or Ricky Tiedemann (#BlueJays), both of whom rank among the top 40 prospects in @MLB, per @MLBPipeline.@MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 22, 2022
Morosi gives two examples of the type of value the Pirates would be targeting, mentioning Bobby Miller of the Dodgers and Ricky Tiedemann of the Blue Jays. I wouldn’t take this to assume that the Pirates are connected to these two players/teams specifically, as much as these are the types of pitching prospects they would be targeting.
Earlier today, Morosi reported that the Yankees are among teams in contact on Reynolds, but that the preference the Pirates have for starters wouldn’t make the Yankees a great fit, as they’re deeper in position players.
The Pirates also have a system that is deeper with position players. Their best pitching prospect is Quinn Priester, who ranks 63rd in Baseball America’s top 100. Priester joins Mike Burrows as options who could arrive this year to join a more long-term trio of Mitch Keller, Roansy Contreras, and JT Brubaker. The Pirates also have Johan Oviedo — added at last year’s trade deadline — and Luis Ortiz, who made it to the majors this year.
What they lack from this group is a true number one. While you can dream about several of those guys taking steps forward, it wouldn’t hurt to add another candidate to eventually lead the Pirates rotation.
