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At this point, we know that the rumors that surfaced earlier this month about Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes requesting a trade are false. But rumors or no rumors, the fact remains that Hayes is the type of player who could be extremely valuable on the trade market.
Hayes has averaged 15 defensive runs saved and just over 11 outs above average over five years in the big leagues. He's also just one season removed from his best season at the plate in 2023, batting .271/.309/.453 with 15 home runs and 61 RBI. He's also on a team-friendly contract, earning $37 million over the next five years with a club option for 2030.
Michael Kay, play-by-play broadcaster for YES Network and host of the Michael Kay Show, proposed the New York Yankees as a potential fit for Hayes in the event that the Pirates did in fact decide to trade their Gold Glove-winning third baseman. Kay also noted that Hayes' father, Charlie Hayes – who played 14 years in the majors and won a World Series with the Yankees in 1996 – had some concerns about how the Pirates were handling his son's progression as a hitter.
"Ke'Bryan Hayes is a defensive magician at third base," Kay said. "His hitting is not what it should be, but he's obviously not happy in Pittsburgh. I talked to Charlie when the Yankees were in Pittsburgh a couple of years ago, and he was like scratching his head about some of the things they do in Pittsburgh with the hitters. Whatever the case may be...if I'm the Yankees, I'm calling the Pirates and go, 'What do you want?'"
Yankees broadcaster fuels trade rumors involving Pirates' Ke'Bryan Hayes
Hayes being the Pirates' starting third baseman in 2025 still appears to be the most likely scenario, but it's still possible to envision what a potential trade could look like with the Yankees. Hayes' team-friendly contract could give Pittsburgh a chance to nab one of New York's better prospects, such as outfielder Everson Pereira.
Admittedly, Hayes' trade value is likely at its lowest after injuries limited him to just 96 games in 2024. But if he can stay healthy in 2025, a potential trade might be worth exploring for the Pirates
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