In a surprising move, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded one of their longest-tenured players on Wednesday, sending third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds the day before the MLB Trade Deadline.
Pirates manager Don Kelly joined the club’s coaching staff in 2020 — the same year Hayes debuted with the team. He got to watch Hayes grow as a player and a person, making the trade extra personal for him.
After the news broke, Kelly shared a touching message for his former player.
“I just want to thank him for everything that he’s meant to the team, to the city. Drafted by the Pirates, grew up in the organization…the only organization that he’s known. Won a Gold Glove for us. Grew as a person, as a player,” Kelly said. “I just want to wish him the best, thank him for everything and wish him the best going forward.”
Hayes spent a full decade with Pittsburgh after being drafted out of high school in the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft. He debuted with the Pirates in 2020 and showed immediate promise, hitting .376/.442/.682 with 1.9 WAR in just 24 games as a 23-year-old rookie.
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Hayes quickly emerged as one of the best defensive third basemen in baseball. He was rewarded with an eight-year, $70 million contract extension in 2022 and won a Gold Glove in 2023.
However, his bat didn’t progress as expected, especially after the potential he displayed as a rookie. Over the past two seasons, he slashed a disappointing .234/.281/.290 (60 OPS+) with six home runs and 61 RBI in 196 games.
In six seasons with Pittsburgh, he batted .254/.307/.369 (86 OPS+) with 39 homers, 61 stolen bases, 554 hits and 14.6 WAR in 576 games.
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With the Pirates looking to upgrade their offense, they decided it was time to part ways with Hayes. While Pittsburgh fans will miss him, at least he’s staying in the National League Central.
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