Pirates lose Ke'Bryan Hayes contender after Yankees' surprising trade

Ke'Bryan Hayes has surprisingly been a hot name on the trade market, and the Pirates are reportedly eager to unload his contract off of their payroll. One of the teams that had rumored interest in the Gold Glove third baseman was the New York Yankees, but they have officially decided to go a different direction.

First reported by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Yankees have acquired Ryan McMahon from the Rockies in exchange for pitching prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz.

Pirates lose Ke'Bryan Hayes trade partner in Yankees acquistion of Ryan McMahon.

McMahon is not exactly the top third baseman on the trade market, yet he is the first to fall. Eugenio Suarez is the top name at that position, and he is highly thought of throughout the league, despite being a rental. Many teams are after him to boost their lineup in the final months of the season. Once he does get traded, teams may still be searching for a third baseman, and with Hayes one of the only other names floating around the market, he could still get dealt.

The Yankees made a lot of sense for Hayes in particular, as their defensive woes have cost them a lot recently. Jazz Chisholm Jr. could not handle the hot corner, and neither can Oswald Peraza. The best defensive third baseman in baseball could have solved that issue for New York, but they decided to go a different route with McMahon.

Two other contenders that have shown rumored interest in Hayes are the Cubs and Tigers. Both will likely make strong pushes for Suarez, too. If they miss out, it is unknown if they will fall back to Hayes, as Matt Shaw has looked better, and the Tigers don't necessarily need a defensive-first third baseman with Zach McKinstry on the roster.

Pittsburgh needs offensive help badly, and trading Hayes will open the door for many new opportunities on that front. His 63 wRC+ and .588 OPS won't exactly land a return that could really make a major impact to this team, especially with that contract attached.

Getting rid of his money is what this organization needs to change things up on the roster. Paying his below-average bat $8 million a year is not in the Pirates' best interest. Hopefully, now that the Yankees are out of his market, a trade can still get done.