Bryan Reynolds Trade Reportedly Eyed by Royals amid Pirates Rumors Before MLB Deadline

As the Kansas City Royals look for ways to boost their lineup, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds has emerged as a target leading up to the MLB trade deadline.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Royals are interested in adding Reynolds, though they haven't had serious talks with the Pirates at this point.

The Royals are in a difficult spot right now because they are 40-47 and 5.5 games out of a wild-card spot in the AL entering play on Thursday, so they would seem to be focused more on selling to build for 2026 and beyond.

Seth Lugo is the team's most obvious trade candidate. The 35-year-old is having a terrific season with a 2.74 ERA in 15 starts and could have an additional season of team control if he exercises his $15 million player option for 2026.

A potential deal for Reynolds would allow the Royals to straddle the line between trying to make a run after the All-Star break this season and looking toward the future. He is signed for five seasons after 2025 and has a $20 million team option for 2031.

The Royals are desperate to find any hitting they can put around Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia. They rank last in MLB in runs scored and tied for 28th in weighted on-base average.

Pittsburgh has only made Paul Skenes and Andrew McCutchen untouchable in talks leading up to the July 31 trade deadline.

Reynolds is one of only two players on the Pirates roster making at least $10 million this season, so it wouldn't be a surprise if they decided to move on from him given how little investment they get from ownership.

Any team acquiring Reynolds would be buying low and betting on a turnaround. He is hitting .237/.301/.393 in 82 games this season. His 91 OPS+ is on pace to be his worst in a 162-game season and ahead of only 2020 (71) for the worst of his career.

Reynolds has been trending in the right direction after a slow start. His OPS has improved every month this season, going from .644 in March/April to .732 in May and .772 in June.