It’s no secret that the Michael Conforto signing has not panned out well for the Los Angeles Dodgers up to this point.
Barring a total reversal in his form, Conforto’s time as an everyday starter could quickly come to an end. With the trade deadline approaching in a hurry, the Dodgers have been connected to a handful of outfielders. The lack of production, coupled with injuries to other regulars, has been a real issue thus far.
One player that would make sense on the surface as a possible target is Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds.
For years, he’s been connected to the Dodgers as someone the franchise would have an interest in. The multi-time All-Star has been the best position player for the lowly Pirates over the last few seasons.
With Pittsburgh inevitably going to sell as it usually does, would Reynolds be someone the Dodgers could get in a trade?
In a word, no.
Reporter Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Reynolds’ no-trade clause includes six teams — with one of them being the Los Angeles Dodgers. The others include the San Francisco Giants, the San Diego Padres, the New York Yankees, the New York Mets and the Toronto Blue Jays.
There’s some heavy irony here considering Pittsburgh is rarely a contender, and the aforementioned six teams listed are all heavily in the playoff mix this season. Whether it’s taxes or some other reason, the Tennessee native seemingly wants to avoid playing in California, New York and Canada.
Reynolds, 30, is currently hitting .230 with 10 homers and 45 runs batted in. It’s a down year for him considering he holds a lifetime career batting average of .272. He has hit at least 24 homers in each of the last four years.
Conventional wisdom states that Reynolds may increase the level of his play when surrounded by better talent. More than a handful of his advanced metrics paints the story of a guy that hits the ball hard. He’s also suffered from some bad luck, as his xBA is .276 — nearly 50 points higher than his actual average currently.
With Reynolds seemingly not an option, the Dodgers must look elsewhere for outfield help.
Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports-Imagn Images
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