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CINCINNATI — Perhaps Ke’Bryan Hayes’ bat can still be unlocked. But it won’t be in Pittsburgh.
The Cincinnati Reds have acquired the Gold Glove Award-winning third baseman, one of the sport’s premier infield defenders, from the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team announced Wednesday.
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The Pirates received shortstop Sammy Stafura, the Reds’ No. 7 prospect on Keith Law’s preseason rankings, lefty reliever Taylor Rogers and cash considerations in return.
The Reds’ search for a right-handed outfield bat led them to their own roster, with Noelvi Marte’s recent foray from third base to the outfield. Hayes’ addition lets Marte move the outfield and strengthens the infield defense.
Whether Hayes can return to form offensively from where he was two years ago remains to be seen, but Great American Ball Park is as good a place as any to rediscover your offensive prowess. In 112 career plate appearances at GABP, Hayes has hit .264/.304/.434 with four homers.
The move marks the end of a long relationship between the Pirates and Hayes, whom they drafted at No. 32 out of high school in 2015 and later handed one of the largest contracts in club history.
Hayes, who is making $7 million this season, is under contract through at least 2029, as he’s in the fourth year of an eight-year, $70 million deal signed in April 2022. The contract includes a club option for 2030, for an additional $6 million. At the time of signing, Hayes’ extension was the largest contract in Pirates history; it has since been passed by the extensions for Bryan Reynolds and Mitch Keller.
Hayes has a history of back injuries, and while his defense has remained superlative — no major leaguer has accrued more Outs Above Average over the past six seasons than Hayes’ 73 — his bat has baffled.
The Pirates’ belief that Hayes would develop power seemed to be correct when he debuted in 2020 and slashed .376/.442/.682 in his first month in the majors. But his OPS tumbled into the .600s in 2021 and 2022, and after a brief breakout in 2023 — when hit 15 a career-high 15 homers, more than doubling his previous best — it has fallen into the .500s over the past two seasons. The maximum exit velocity readings that fueled the Hayes hype for many — if only he could start lifting the ball more! — have ticked downward in 2024 and 2025 as well.
Though not known for his bat, Hayes has posted a .264/.304/.434 slash with four homers in 112 career plate appearances at Great American Ball Park. (Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)
Hayes doesn’t chase wildly. He doesn’t strike out much. But he’s getting beaten by fastballs, and he’s rarely barreling balls. He has a .236 batting average and two home runs in 100 games. All the work Hayes has done to sort things out at the plate, with instructors inside or outside the organization, has failed to bring about consistent results.
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So why would the Reds jump to acquire a third baseman with no slug?
Well, it’s still easy to see surplus value there. Hayes’ production may not match what the Pirates feel they need from one of their highest-paid players, but $7 million is not a significant sum for most teams to pay a Gold Glove-caliber third baseman. (Even as a career 85 wRC+ hitter, Hayes has averaged 3.2 WAR per 162 games played.) Some league insiders also still believe Hayes can develop into an average hitter, relying on singles and stolen bases — a skill he retains even as his sprint speed declines.
Hayes’ father, Charlie, is a former MLB third baseman who squeezed the final out of the 1996 World Series for the Yankees. As for the younger Hayes, the Pirates have not been a stretch-run contender at any point in his major-league career. Maybe entering a playoff race for the first time this summer will get his mind off how hard it is to hit major-league heat.
Stafura is a highly regarded prospect, but the Reds organization’s philosophy of drafting middle infielders means he’s not the lone shortstop among their top prospects. The Reds selected Stafura in the second round of the 2023 draft and signed him to an above-slot deal. They did the same thing the next year with Tyson Lewis.
Lewis, 19, hit .340/.396/.532 in the Arizona Complex League before recently being promoted to Low-A Daytona. In his first game for the Tortugas, he went 2-for-6 with a double and a homer. In four games, he’s gone 5-for-18 with two doubles and a homer.
The Reds also drafted 17-year-old high school shortstop Steele Hall with the ninth pick in this year’s draft. Edwin Arroyo, a former top-100 prospect who missed the 2024 season after shoulder surgery, is currently at Double A.
The Reds added Rogers in a deal with the San Francisco Giants in late January. They received $6 million in the deal in addition to Rogers, who was under contract for $12 million for the 2025 season. Rogers, 34, is a free agent after this season. The lefty had mostly pitched in lower-leverage situations for the Reds, logging 33 innings in 40 appearances, with a 2.45 ERA, 34 strikeouts and 19 walks.
— The Athletic’s Stephen J. Nesbitt and Ken Rosenthal contributed to this report.
(Photo of Hayes: Justin Berl / Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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