When it comes to Mark Reynolds, you know what you’re getting. A demonstrative leader, a home run hitter, a strikeout master. You get his maximum effort and his full attention. He is clearly the most recognizable Diamondbacks player after Justin Upton, and also maintains a “salt of the earth” quality about him, hailing from Kentucky.
Is Mark Reynolds a good trade candidate, then? Any team with a quality hitting coach would be licking their lips to pick up this slugger. In a year where Reynolds struck out 211 times and hit below .200, he was still able to hit 32 home runs and drive in 85 RBI for the worst team in the NL West.
Trading Mark Reynolds would be a big step for new GM Kevin Towers to take, signaling a new direction for Arizona baseball and ushering in the era of contact hitting and defense.
Both the Chicago Cubs and White Sox could use Mark Reynolds in their lineups. Reynolds would be a clear upgrade at first base on the north side, replacing Micah Hoffpauir and adding a legitimate threat to play alongside Aramis Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano.
On the south side, the White Sox could also use a first baseman. Does Reynolds intrigue these Chicago-based clubs? Towers owes it to himself to explore the trade opportunities, knowing full well that he doesn’t have to take a mediocre offer – Reynolds is signed in Arizona through 2013 including an option year.