Pittsburgh Pirates fans left last week's trade deadline wanting GM Ben Cherington's head on a spike. But while everyone was up in arms about the lackluster return for star closer David Bednar or the decision not to trade veterans on expiring contracts like Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Tommy Pham, there one deal managed to escape scrutiny: flipping long-time third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds.
Hayes broke into Pittsburgh looking like a future face of the franchise. But while his glove developed into one of the best in baseball at the hot corner, his bat failed to materialize; he wasn't a bad player, but he was very far from being a star. For a Pirates team that needs as many offensive upgrades as it can get, wasn't it fair enough to move on?
Maybe in a vacuum, sure. But as Hayes hits the ground running in Cincinnati, all of Pittsburgh is realizing that their former third baseman wasn't the problem, and getting rid of him just leaves their team even worse off for the present and future.
No glove needed for Ke'Bryan Hayes! pic.twitter.com/EERgXj9C2M
— MLB (@MLB) August 6, 2025
Hayes has a very Hayes-like .688 OPS so far with the Reds; not awful, but nothing to write home about. But to the surprise of absolutely no one, his glove has kept on shining in his new home, making an instant impact in Cincinnati's series win at Wrigley Field this week.
He's a pretty good player, in other words, one who has a place on a winning team. Unfortunately for him, the Pirates wasted most of his prime trying to pretend he was something else.
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Ke'Bryan Hayes thriving with the Reds is the cherry on top of Pirates' nightmare trade deadline
To the extent that Hayes was a disappointment in Pittsburgh, it was only against the expectations that were set for him as a one-time top prospect. Well, that and the fact that the Pirates have failed to build a competent offense for years, forcing Hayes into the middle of the team's lineup when it was clear that wasn't who he was as a player.
Cincinnati doesn't have that problem; the Reds combine an excellent pitching staff with some exciting young position players, and they acquired Hayes with the knowledge that he'd be safely ensconced in the No. 8 or No. 9 spot in the order. From there, it doesn't really matter if he goes 1-for-4 every night. All that matters is that he brings his glove with him, a massive upgrade for a team whose infield defense had struggled all year.
Really, the story of Hayes in Pittsburgh isn't actually about a promising talent who failed to realize his potential. Hayes isn't the All-Star it seemed like he might become, but plenty of MLB teams would have use for him on their rosters. Instead, it's a story of a team so desperate for a success story that it kept trying to pretend Hayes was something he wasn't. Now that he's gone, they're back to square one.