PITTSBURGH -- David Bednar understands the dynamic -- there’s baseball and there’s business. To the Pirates' closer, Bryan Reynolds’ trade request falls into the latter category.

The Pirates have garnered undesired attention over the last week, when Reynolds’ desire to play elsewhere became public, but ahead of a season-ticket-holder event at PNC Park, Bednar expressed confidence that Reynolds will remain a positive figure in the clubhouse.

“Honestly, there’s not even a little worry about that,” Bednar said. “He’s going to come in and play. Bryan’s a great teammate. As far as it being a distraction, I’m not worried about that even a little bit.”

The public nature of the trade request has the potential to become a distraction during Spring Training if Reynolds is still on the team. At the Winter Meetings, however, general manager Ben Cherington and manager Derek Shelton communicated their belief that Reynolds would continue to be professional and handle his business as usual. Bednar echoed those sentiments.

“I don’t think anybody in this clubhouse is worried about Bryan Reynolds and coming into Spring Training,” Bednar said. “That’s just the kind of ballplayer he is. You don’t get to that point and turn it off. He’s going to come in and play hard no matter what.”

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Bednar added: “He comes to the yard and plays hard every single day. That’s an invaluable trait to have. [Switch-hitting] All-Stars, they don’t just hand those out. He’s a great player. But I’m not worried about the distraction part of it at all.”

Outfielder Jack Suwinski said that he thought about reaching out to Reynolds, but he believes his teammate has been busy given the recent developments, so Suwinski opted to give him space.

The trade request is far from ideal, but there have been reasons for optimism in Pittsburgh. The Pirates have added plenty of new faces into the mix, signing Carlos Santana, Jarlín García and Vince Velasquez, trading for Ji-Man Choi and adding Jose Hernandez in the Rule 5 Draft. There’s also the next wave of prospects who are nearing their debuts -- players such as Endy Rodriguez, Henry Davis and Quinn Priester, among others. To Suwinski, the rookies who came up last year were just “the tip of the iceberg.”

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“There’s waves of lots of talent from other young guys, probably just as if not more talented than we are,” Suwinski said. “So, we’re excited for them to come and help the team, and we’re also excited to see the moves that the Pirates are making to bring guys into the clubhouse that also want to win, because with time and hard work, we believe in this group and know that there’s some good things happening.”

The bullpen, in particular, projects to be a strength next season. Along with García, Velasquez and Hernandez -- Velasquez will be a candidate for the rotation as well -- Pittsburgh added right-hander Dauri Moreta in the trade that sent Kevin Newman to the Reds. Even if Velasquez starts next season, the Pirates have about a dozen relievers who have cases to crack the Opening Day roster.

“The pieces are certainly there. It’s really exciting to think about. You saw it last year in bits and pieces. Now [we're] kind of starting to stack that more, put guys in good situations,” Bednar said. “I’m really looking forward to it being the strength of the team. It’s already a tight-knit group. In the bullpen that’s one of the most important parts is that camaraderie; everybody has each other’s back. Also whenever you add pieces, it’s gonna be a good thing.”

Bednar will headline that group of relievers next season, with the hope that he’ll be able to do so for an entire year. The 28-year-old earned his first All-Star selection last season, but he spent much of the second half on the injured list dealing with a lower back issue. Bednar returned down the stretch to finish the season, and while he acknowledged that back issues can be finicky, he’s feeling better now compared to the summer.

“I was happy with how I was able to finish the season,” Bednar said. “I’m definitely in a better spot right now. I’m looking forward to coming into Spring Training strong and ready to roll.”