Pittsburgh Pirates Reward Bryan Reynolds With 8-Year, $106.75 Million Contract Extension

Two days after extending manager Derek Shelton, the Pittsburgh Pirates surprised the baseball world by giving star outfielder Bryan Reynolds the biggest contract in club history.

A switch-hitting outfielder widely considered the face of the franchise, he got an eight-year, $106.75 million extension with a 2031 club option. It contains a limited no-trade clause, allowing the star to block trades to six clubs (the list can change each year of the pact).

Reynolds will still receive $6.75 million this season but he’ll get a $2 million signing bonus on top of that. He’ll then be paid annual salaries of $10 million in 2024, $12 million in 2025, $14 million in 2026, and $15 million per year in both 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030. The team can then pick up his option for $20 million in 2031 or offer him a $2 million buyout.

The deal supersedes the final year of an existing contract. Reynolds is guaranteed seven years and $100MM in addition to the $6.75MM he will earn this year. The pact buys out his final two seasons of arbitration and at least five possible free-agent seasons.

It is also surprising for a payroll-conscious club that relies heavily on young players with low salaries.

The Pirates had an Opening Day payroll of $73,277,500 that ranked 27th among the 30 teams even though it has increased for three straight seasons. Reynolds had been the subject of constant trade rumors – often involving the New York Yankees – before the deal was announced Tuesday.

The surprisingly strong start of the team, which leads the National League Central with a 16-7 record, may have accelerated negotiations. Those talks took months to reach fruition.

The team eventually agreed to an increase in years and dollars but would not include the opt-out clause the player requested.

The 6’3″ Vanderbilt product, signed by the San Francisco Giants but traded to the Pirates, broke into the big leagues in 2019 and has compiled a .282 batting average entering play Tuesday. He’s had career peaks of 27 home runs in 2022 and 90 runs batted in the year before.

Formerly a center-fielder, Reynolds can play any of the three outfield spots. He’s been used mostly in left this year as the younger Jack Suwinski and Ji Hwan Bae have shared time in center. His work at the new position has gotten good reviews via baseball analytics.

Reynolds and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes are the only Pirates with guaranteed contracts beyond this season. The latter has a $70 million extension that runs through 2029 but carries a club option for 2030, the last guaranteed year in the Reynolds deal.

Pittsburgh finished in a last-place tie in 2022, when it matched the 62-100 record of the Cincinnati Reds, and had not been considered a contender for a post-season berth this year. But baseball is invariably full of surprises.

For the Pirates, recent surprises have been supplied by a nucleus of young players, including Oneil Cruz, Roansy Contreras, Mitch Keller, and David Bednar, among others. Oneil, a shortstop with a strong arm and powerful bat, is currently idled by a broken left ankle that is expected to keep him sidelined until August.

The team, which plays in photogenic PNC Park, has been owned by the family of Ogden Newspapers executive Bob Nutting since January 2007. Nutting serves as chairman of the board.