Red-hot Pirates should ride wave of good news by locking in more players

Everything is going right for the Pittsburgh Pirates. At 16-7 entering play Tuesday, they are off to their best start since 1992. On Tuesday, they agreed to a contract extension with All-Star outfielder Bryan Reynolds for eight years and $106M. 

Heck, even Potato Pete is back in the mix. 

Now the Pirates should keep the momentum going by locking up two more key players: shortstop Oneil Cruz and starting pitcher Mitch Keller. 

Pirates fandom has grumbled over the team's losing and ownership not investing in the product on the field. The team has not made many significant additions from outside, and it hasn't always kept its best players.

Agreeing with Reynolds to a new contract is significant because it's the most lucrative contract handed out in franchise history. It also seemed like something that was never going to happen. 

The sides seemed far apart on numbers at one point. Reynolds became so frustrated that he even requested a trade during the offseason. The Pirates held their ground and agreed with their best player on an extremely team-friendly deal that includes trade restrictions and no opt-out clause. 

But they can't stop there. As good as Reynolds is, and as promising as the early season looks, the Pirates need to keep showing their commitment will be different with this core. That is why Cruz and Keller should be next on the extension list. 

Cruz is tricky because he is sidelined with a fractured ankle and has not even played a full season's worth of games in the majors. But his potential is sky-high. He could be the face of the franchise for the next decade and one of the best players in baseball. 

There is a growing trend around the league for teams to sign young stars to long-term deals early in their careers to ensure they stay through the first part of their free-agency eligible years. That might be the Pirates' best chance to keep a player like Cruz long term. 

There is some risk with it. But the potential reward is massive. 

Keller has also emerged as their best starting pitcher, and if they can get him signed to a deal similar to the one Cincinnati just signed with Hunter Greene, it would lock in a key part of their rotation.

The Pirates finally have some young talent emerging at the same time, have already made one significant signing, and have veteran Andrew McCutchen back to help bring positive vibes and a strong bat. They need to show they are serious about this core and make more moves to keep them in place.