The stove was quiet until suddenly it wasn't. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported on Wednesday afternoon that the Pittsburgh Pirates have sent third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds, completing a rare in-division blockbuster between a pair of NL Central rivals.
Full trade, per ESPN sources:
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2025
Cincinnati receives: 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes
Pittsburgh receives: SS prospect Sammy Stafura and RP Taylor Rogers
Hayes, once considered a key piece of Pittsburgh's future, is as good as it gets defensively at the hot corner, but his bat is among the worst in the sport. For that reason, the Pirates decided it was time to move on, and the Reds, envisioning an opportunity to buy low, are taking a shot.
This deal could pan out for the Pirates, but it could also prove to be one of GM Ben Cherington's worst.
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MLB trade grades: Pirates give up on Ke'Bryan Hayes, send him to division rival
This is a stunner. Hayes, the 2023 NL Gold Glove winner at third base, is in the fourth year of an eight-year, $70 million extension he signed with the Pirates shortly after the beginning of the 2022 campaign. At the time of the extension, it was the richest deal the Pirates had ever signed, and it felt like a bargain at that. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, while his glove is great, his bat is not.
By trading him away, the Pirates are clearing payroll (with the exception of the remainder of the $6 million owed to veteran reliever Taylor Rogers for this season), while making the bet that he'll never figure it out offensively. They can use the savings from Hayes' contract to sign a position player who might actually be able to hit for the offensively starved Pirates.
In addition to shedding much-needed payroll, the Pirates received shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura, Cincinnati's No. 9 prospect per MLB Pipeline. He's still a ways away from making an impact at the MLB level, but Stafura, a 20-year-old who was taken in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Reds, has had a strong year in Single-A, highlighted by his 28 stolen bases and impressive .393 on-base percentage. Whether he'll hit for much power remains to be seen, but Stafura should stick at shortstop, has blazing speed, and can get on base at a high clip. This is a good get for the Pirates.
Would it have been nice to have seen Hayes succeed in Pittsburgh? Sure, but it just wasn't happening. Sending him to a division rival could backfire, but the Pirates unloaded what looks like an iffy contract and got decent value in return. Not a bad trade by the Pirates as long as they reinvest the money (which, I should say, is no guarantee with Bob Nutting owning the team.)
If Hayes blossoms in Cincinnati, Cherington could pay the price. With that being said, that feels like a huge if.
Pirates trade grade: B
As for the Reds, well, this is a risk, and one I'm just not sure is worth taking. The glove is absurd, but he's slashing .236/.279/.290 with two home runs and 36 RBI in 100 games this season. Since the start of the 2024 campaign, Hayes' 58 WRC+ is not only 42 percent below league average, but it ranks dead last out of 161 position players to have at least 750 plate appearances. Having a below-average hitter is one thing, but Hayes is so far below that right now.
Might a transition to a new organization, and one that plays at one of the more hitter-friendly parks in the sport, help? Sure. Ultimately, things can't get much worse offensively for Hayes. However, even if it does get better for him offensively, he'd have to show major improvement to be even average offensively. They were willing not only to part with a decent prospect, but also to cover the rest of Hayes' contract through the 2029 campaign (if they don't exercise his $12 million club option for 2030).
At the end of the day, the Reds would've benefited more by adding an offense-first third baseman. Overpaying for a rental in Suarez might not have been wise, but the team ranks 20th in the majors in home runs and tied for 16th in OPS despite playing half their games at a hitter-friendly park. Hayes, a player who has hit more than seven home runs and been a league-average hitter just once in his career, is unlikely to provide much of an offensive boost.
If it were up to me, I would've traded for someone else, or at least given Noelvi Marte, a former top prospect in his own right (who has been swinging a pretty good bat), the third base reps. Taking a chance on Hayes, a player with a career .676 OPS, who has shown no signs of being any better, just isn't good enough, even with the defense being as good as it is.