Latest Pirates trade rumors omit two notable names from off-limits list

The Pittsburgh Pirates currently sit 15 games below .500 and are looking like legitimate sellers. All the team's current rentals feel like locked-in trade chips, but that group may not be alone. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Pirates will listen on everyone except Paul Skenes and Oneil Cruz. That note was expected, but surprisingly leaves out two notable names in Bryan Reynolds and Ke'Bryan Hayes, who apparently are not formally off the block.

Both of those players were signed to long-term extensions a few years ago. Unfortunately, their disappointing starts to this season have set the Pirates back, and that is reportedly causing the team to consider moving on.

Bob Nightengale reports that the Pirates will listen on two notable names in Bryan Reynolds and Ke'Bryan Hayes at MLB trade deadline

Reynolds is actually turning things around from his early slump and has been excellent recently. Regardless of the slow start, it is shocking to see the Pirates listening on Reynolds. Their projected offense internally does not look promising down the road, so moving on from the best and most consistent bat in the lineup for the last four seasons feels like a disaster waiting to happen.

Although it would open up over $14 million in payroll for 2026, spending in free agency is not exactly how the Pirates operate in the offseason. Ben Cherington has not yet signed a free agent to a multi-year deal, and it is his sixth year as the Pirates' general manager. It is hard to envision things being any different, even with that added money to spend in Reynolds' hypothetical wake.

Reynolds would likely net a top-100 prospect in any trade package, but that should not be what this organization should be targeting at the deadline. They have the pieces in the big leagues to build around, and waiting on additional prospects is no longer what this organization should be doing during Skenes' ever-shrinking window.

On the other hand, trading Hayes is starting to make a little more sense for the organization. Even without a top third baseman prospect waiting behind him, it might be time for the Pirates to move on.

The expectation behind Hayes this season was that he was finally healthy, so Pittsburgh believed that he could return to his 2023 form. Even with a reduced groundball rate, a higher launch angle, and high hard-hit rate, Hayes still has worse numbers than his terrible 2024 season.

His defense is Gold Glove worthy, but for a team that lacks offense, they cannot keep waiting on Hayes to turn things around. He is owed $7 million for the next few seasons, so that money could be better spent to find a better bat. It makes more sense to clear his cash than Reynolds' money.

Right now, it would be very hard to justify trading Reynolds, but Hayes should be a guy you take the offer for when you get it. The Pirates do not have many years to work with in this Skenes window, and opening the door to trade a top-three hitter in the lineup would set the Pirates back.

There are a lot of possibilities as to what the Pirates can do at the deadline. They must do it right so Pittsburgh can bring postseason baseball back to the city in 2026.