Potential Pirates replacements for Ke'Bryan Hayes paint a bleak picture

For as much as Ke'Bryan Hayes has struggled, his name remains on the trade market. That indicates that some teams still find him tantalizing. The Pirates will more than likely listen on him, and if the deal is right, he could find himself in another uniform this summer.

His value really only comes from his glove, so the return may not be that big, but opening that financial room could help the Pirates in free agency.

Hayes has been the starting third baseman since his debut in 2020, and has had only one solid season since, which came in 2023. His offense is simply not cutting it, and that reality is holding this organization back. If another team sends an offer for the Gold Glover and agrees to eat a large portion of his salary, then the Pirates may be tempted to accept rather than continue fighting to reclaim his talent.

That would shake this lineup up and leave them scrambling for a new third baseman in the final months, while leaving the door open for a larger new addition through free agency. There are plenty of opportunities to consider, but the Pirates need to be careful here, as their immediate replacement for the bulk of Hayes' reps sort of feels lke a duplicate.

These are the Pirates' internal options at third base if Ke'Bryan Hayes gets traded.

Jared Triolo is the guy on the active roster that would jump in at third base. Coming off a utility Gold Glove win, Triolo feels like a very valuable guy off the bench, but not an everyday starter. That is because his bat is very comparable to Hayes'. His OPS sits at .575 with a 59 wRC+. His xSLG of .424 brings hope that he could figure things out offensively, but he feels like another Hayes; replacing Hayes with Triolo would not really do much.

Aside from Triolo, Nick Yorke and Liover Peguero are the only other options close to the big leagues who could take over. Peguero has been moved around all over the field this season, but can't seem to find a groove at the plate. Yorke has a solid bat that should already be in Pittsburgh's lineup, but he has only played 24 innings in his career at third base. Over time, Yorke could be a solid option, but that dramatic swap in defense at third would hurt the outstanding pitching staff.

If internal options don't work, the Pirates could look in this next free agent class to replace Ke'Bryan Hayes.

Alex Bregman, Eugenio Suarez, and Max Muncy are going to be far out of the Pirates' price range, and beyond that trio, there are not many valuable options remaining. Gio Urshela may be slightly better than Hayes at the plate, but he doesn't exactly move the needle towards a contending team. Josh Rojas and Jon Berti would be the type of get-you-over signings we saw in 2020, but not on a team intending to go to the playoffs.

The remaining two options would be Yoan Moncada and Luis Urias. Both would be upgrades offensively while providing average defense. Urias has played more second base, but has lots of time at third. Urias has generated a .733 OPS with a 110 wRC+ through 63 games this season. Moncada has posted a .841 OPS with a 138 wRC+ through just 30 games this season. He has dealt with injuries this year, but when he has been healthy, he has been a solid bat.

Depending on how the trade market shakes out, the Pirates are somewhat stuck at third base. Hayes is expensive, but has the best glove in the league at third. Triolo is a duplicate for less money, so freeing up cash and going with him could help the bigger picture. Maybe taking on a defensive downgrade for Yorke's bat could help. Intriguing options in free agency are also tough to come by. The Pirates just really cannot deal with Hayes' bat anymore, though, so if they can trade him and try out other options, Cherington had better be willing to experiment.