Pirates dumped Ke'Bryan Hayes before his bat made heinous history for the Reds

The Pirates have reveled in first-round pick success of late, seeing the likes of Paul Skenes, Konnor Griffin, and Nick Gonzales blossom. But that win streak is relatively recent. The mid-2010s featured some of the worst first-round selections, including players that didn’t even sign with the team.

At the bottom of the barrel is Ke’Bryan Hayes, the once sterling defender who is now a historically bad hitter. On the bright side, the Pirates no longer have to carry the weight of his failure.

Hayes, who was traded to the Reds at the 2025 trade deadline, finished this season with a .419 OPS, the third-worst mark among everyday players since 1940. Hayes mustered a mere 32 hits in his 94 games with Cincinnati this year. Even his fielding value went down, contributing a run value of just five, his lowest full-season mark in his career.

Clearly the Pirates cut ties with Hayes at the exact right time.

Ke’Bryan Hayes’ historically bad season proves the Pirates made the right move at the right time.

Hayes’ challenges put the Pirates’ third-base problems into perspective. Sure, Pittsburgh produced -1.0 bWAR at third base this season, and Gonzales struggled adjusting to the position. The Reds, though, got -2.1 bWAR out of Hayes and Eugenio Suárez. If you can’t be good, it’s nice when your rival is also bad.

The return the Pirates got for Hayes makes the trade even sweeter. Shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura played well in Pittsburgh’s system and enticed the Mets to trade Luke Weaver at this year’s deadline. The righty wasn’t quite as sharp for the Pirates, perhaps due to an unfortunate case of poison ivy, but he’s still under contract for 2027 and could be a difference maker in the bullpen next year.

The future of the third base position in Pittsburgh is a bit murky without Hayes, who once signed the most lucrative contract in franchise history. Murf Gray exploded on the scene this year, but he likely won’t be a contributor until 2028. Until then, the Pirates will be leaning on Gonzales, Tyler Callihan, Jared Triolo and other bit players to keep the position afloat as they watch Hayes flounder in Cincinnati.

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