PITTSBURGH (AP) — When the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Ke'Bryan Hayes to a lengthy contract extension in the spring of 2022, both sides believed Hayes would be a vital part of a franchise-wide turnaround.
Three years later, the last-place Pirates are still running in place, and Hayes is moving on.
Pittsburgh traded the Gold Glove-winning third baseman to NL Central rival Cincinnati on Wednesday for veteran reliever Taylor Rogers, shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura and cash.
The swap gives the Reds an elite defender at the hot corner with a manageable contract. Hayes will make $7 million in 2026 and 2027 and $8 million in 2028 and 2029, with a club option of $12 million for 2030.
“He might be the best defender in baseball. If not, he’s right there,” Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said shortly after the deal was finalized. "We’re trying to find ways to get better. We care so much about trying to play clean baseball, and this will be a huge step in that direction.”
The Reds have used six different players at third this season. Noelvi Marte, who has been the primary third baseman of late, will move to the outfield.
Hayes finds himself going from last place to the playoff race. Cincinnati entered play on Wednesday three games behind San Diego for the National League's third wild-card spot.
Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall pointed to the trade as a sign the club is moving in the right direction. Cincinnati is chasing just its second postseason berth since 2013.
“If you’re selling, that means you’re losing,” Krall said. "So if you’re a buyer, you’re in position to potentially get to the postseason and see what happens. So you always want to be a buyer. That’s that’s the most important thing. These guys are playing really hard right now. You want that to continue and to give them support as best we can.”
Hayes, the son of former major leaguer Charlie Hayes and a first-round draft pick by the Pirates in 2015, struggled to find consistency at the plate following his splashy debut during the final month of the COVID-19-shortened season in 2020. He hit .376 with five homers in 24 games immediately after being called up, numbers that he didn't come close to matching while playing a full 162-game schedule.
Hayes hit .236 with two home runs and 36 RBIs this season for the Pirates, who sit in last place in the NL Central thanks largely to an offense that ranks near or at the bottom in the majors in most significant statistical categories.
“We know where the hitting has been and sometimes a change of scenery can help," Francona said. "He seems excited and we’re excited to have him and see where it goes.”
The Pirates have several internal options to replace Hayes in the short term, including Jared Triolo, who won a Gold Glove as a utility infielder in 2024.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Pittsburgh’s everyday shortstop this season, moved over to third for the Pirates’ series finale against San Francisco on Thursday.
Rogers remains an effective left-handed option out of the bullpen at 34. The 10-year veteran, an All-Star with Minnesota in 2021, is 2-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 40 appearances with the Reds this season.
Stafura, 20, was a second-round pick by Cincinnati in 2023. He is hitting .262 with four home runs and 48 RBIs in 88 games with Class A Daytona this season.
Hayes finished sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2020 and appeared to hit full stride in 2023, when he had career highs in home runs (15), RBIs (61), doubles (31) and triples (7), while becoming one of the best defenders at his position.
Back injuries limited him to 96 games last season and while Hayes has been a fixture in the lineup this year, he's been unable to be a difference-maker at the plate.
The move gives the Pirates some flexibility to find a third baseman with more offensive upside in the offseason, though it's uncertain how the small-market club would address the position. Pittsburgh has almost exclusively used free agency to offer modest one-year contracts to veteran players in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle.
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AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy in Cincinnati contributed to this report.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Will Graves, The Associated Press
