According to Francys Romero of Beisbol FR reports that the Pittsburgh Pirates could move 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes, and among teams interested are the Yankees.
The Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers are also potential suitors, but there is some extremities to his game that both make him coveted or detested depending on who you talk to.
He’s recorded the most Defensive Runs Saved in MLB (+10) among third basemen, but he’s posted the second-worst qualified OPS at the position as well.
Under contract at around $7.4 million a year for four more seasons following the 2025 campaign, the Pirates and Hayes might be both hoping for a divorce at the deadline.
Yankees Could Look At Reclamation Project This Deadline to Solve 3B Woes
Not only are the Yankees in a rut right now, but their infield has begun to crate as DJ LeMahieu has struggled mightily after a hot start with the team.
Just as it looked like he could help this team at the bottom of the lineup, he’s become a liability at the plate, and he’s also moved Jazz Chisholm off of his primary position and pushed him to third.
The Yankees would love to move Chisholm back to 2B, and it seems that Ke’Bryan Hayes might be eager to get out of Pittsburgh as well.
Controversy surrounding Jon Nunnally’s firing following the 2023 season could have created a fracture between Hayes and the Pirates, as they chose to fire the then-Double-A hitting coach for working with the third basemen behind the team’s back.
He had his best full season to date that year, posting a 100 wRC+, but since that point in time he’s seen the game power decline and his offense completely fall apart.
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I’ve heard some chatter about some people in Ke’Bryan Hayes’ camp not being happy about the way Pittsburgh has handled his development, and while that could be misplaced blame, some organizations seem to believe in his bat.
With how good of a defender he is and how cheap the contract is on a per-year basis, the Yankees might be inclined to try and see if his power could improve at Yankee Stadium.
According to Baseball Savant, he would have hit 26 home runs instead of 21 over his past three seasons had he played all of his games at Yankee Stadium, but this comes with a massive risk.
Hayes has been oft-injured with back issues, and he has not played 150 games in an MLB season even once, and with guaranteed money for the next four seasons, a team has to be certain they can improve the offense.
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