The Cincinnati Reds have acquired third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers and shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura, it was announced Wednesday.
The 28-year-old Hayes, who is signed through 2029, is hitting .236 with two home runs and 36 RBIs in 369 at-bats this season for Pittsburgh, where he has spent the entirety of his six-year career.
Cincinnati, chasing just its second postseason berth since 2013, is three games back in the race for the final National League wild-card spot entering Wednesday’s games. The Pirates are last in the NL Central and rank near the bottom or at the bottom in the majors in most significant offensive statistical categories.
“If you’re selling, that means you’re losing,” Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall said. “So if you’re a buyer, you’re in position to potentially get to the postseason and see what happens. So you always want to be a buyer. That’s that’s the most important thing. These guys are playing really hard right now. You want that to continue and to give them support as best we can.”
The Reds rank 28th in OPS from their third basemen this season, compiling a .620 mark. Hayes has a career .676 OPS while playing stellar defense, winning the Gold Glove in 2023. His 16 defensive runs saved this season is eight more than any other MLB third baseman, according to Sports Info Solutions.
“He might be the best defender in baseball. If not, he’s right there,” Cincinnati manager Terry Francona said shortly after the deal was finalized. “We’re trying to find ways to get better. We care so much about trying to play clean baseball, and this will be a huge step in that direction.”
The Reds have used six different players at third this season. Noelvi Marte, who has been the primary third baseman of late, will move to the outfield.
Hayes hasn’t progressed offensively in the same manner, with his OPS dropping in each of the past three seasons. It’s currently at a career-low .569 this season.
“We know where the hitting has been and sometimes a change of scenery can help,” Francona said. “He seems excited and we’re excited to have him and see where it goes.”
The son of former major leaguer Charlie Hayes, he will make $7 million in 2026 and 2027 and $8 million in 2028 and 2029. The Reds also will hold a $12 million option in 2030.
The Pirates have several internal options to replace Hayes in the short-term, including Jared Triolo, who won a Gold Glove as a utility infielder in 2024. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Pittsburgh’s everyday shortstop this season, moved over to third for Wednesday’s game against the Giants.
Rogers, 34, appeared in 40 games for the Reds this year, compiling a 2.45 ERA while giving up just three home runs in 33 innings. The 10-year veteran, who was an All-Star selection with the Twins in 2021, will be a free agent after this season.
Tyler Rogers, his identical twin brother, was traded just hours later from the San Francisco Giants to the New York Mets. According to ESPN Research, it’s believed to be the third time in MLB history that brothers were traded midseason on the same day.
Stafura, 20, was with Class-A Daytona, hitting .262 with four home runs and 48 RBIs in 88 games. He was a 2023 second-round pick by Cincinnati and was just outside their top 10 prospects, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.
The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report.
