Padres rumors: Bryan Reynolds trade could take creativity

The San Diego Padres are looking to improve the roster by the trade deadline, and Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds may be strongly in consideration, per Jack Clark of the East Village Times.

The Padres are seemingly focusing on upgrading the outfield, so it’s no surprise they’re after Reynolds. San Diego doesn’t currently have many great hitters coming from the outfield, and Reynolds would bring the power that currently lacks.

Reynolds is one of the best hitters on the Pirates. He has the second-best wins above replacement (1.3) and slugging percentage (.469). He also has the third-best isolated power (.209) and batting average (.260). He has the best offensive rating (6.5).

He’d play well alongside the Padres’ best outfielde,r Jurickson Profar. Profar is one of the best San Diego hitters with the third-best WAR (1.8), second-best offensive rating (6.2), and fourth-best OBP (.345).

The Padres may have to make strategic moves, however, if they want to acquire Reynolds.

Bryan Reynolds may not be easy for the San Diego Padres to acquire

Clark notes there are indications the Padres could be near the top of their payroll and may need to get a little creative to make a deal work.

Reynolds is guaranteed $6.75 million each season through 2023 and isn’t eligible for free agency until 2026.

Clark:

"Can the Padres persuade the Pirates to take on similar pay? Ha-Seong Kim makes sense to some degree as the infielder is to make $6 million in 2022, $7 million in 2023, and $8 million in 2024 before a $2 million buyout in 2025. Kim would be a pricey addition for the Pirates, and it would take a special prospect package for the Pirates to pull the trigger on taking on the salary of Ha-Seong Kim."

Reynolds would be worth the price if the Padres can avoid trading away their best players. San Diego is looking into other pricey outfielders, such as Andrew Benintendi. Adding multiple expensive players wouldn’t be feasible, but Reynolds would seemingly be the best option for outfielders.

Benintendi is a good hitter but doesn’t provide the power that Reynolds would. Benintendi is hitting .316/.387/.404 this season with an isolated power of .088.