bryan reynolds yankees rumors
Charles LeClaire | USA TODAY Sports

Bryan Reynolds wants to stay in Pittsburgh. And the star center fielder and the Pirates have agreed on money.

And yet he still remains without a long-term extension. So those Yankees trade hopes remain alive.

From The Post’s Jon Heyman:

Sources say the Pirates are showing a willingness to move money around in the $100M, seven-year extension discussion held up by Reynolds’ request for an opt-out after Year 4. It’s understandable why the Pirates don’t want to do that as they already have him controlled for three years.

The Bucs also said no on a full no-trade. Opt-outs are dangerous, but considering the fair financial terms a no-trade clause feels like a fair compromise. If something isn’t done soon, they may need to table it.

It sounds like the Pirates have to give on one of these asks from our vantage point. The guy clearly wants to play for them. So why quibble over the opt-outs? Balking at the no-trade clause is understandable. While Reynolds seemingly has little to no interest in coming to the Bronx or heading to another baseball crucible, those are the clubs the Pirates will do business with if they ever move him. Just give Reynolds the opt-out, get the deal done and do the most exciting thing the Pirates have done in ages.

Then again, having this blow up on the 1-yard line would make sense. The Pirates can act like they tried and then flip Reynolds for some prospects. Have they seen the Somerset Patriots’ roster?

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James Kratch can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @jameskratch.

James Kratch is the managing editor of ESNY. He previously worked as a Rutgers and Giants (and Mike Francesa) beat reporter for NJ Advance Media.