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Cubs Reported Trade Interest in Pirates Star Infielder Makes No Sense
Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs have been the subject of a ton of trade rumors as the deadline approaches at the end of the month.

Expected to be one of the most active teams in baseball when it comes to aggressively trying to upgrade their roster to shore themselves up as World Series contenders, it's going to be a long month for the Cubs and their fans.

Since the offseason, the pitching staff has been questioned and seen as not strong enough to get through October, and while that and the team's need for arms very well may both be true, it's not the only position Chicago is linked to.

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Over the last week, multiple outlets have reported on the Cubs having interest in a possible deal with their division rival Pittsburgh Pirates for Gold Glove winning third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes.

While Hayes is a former National League Rookie of the Year candidate in 2020 and one of the better defenders in all of baseball, Chicago giving up assets for him really does not make a whole lot of sense.

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For one, even though the 28-year-old has a glove that matches up with anyone, for now two seasons straight he has produced almost nothing offensively.

Since the start of 2024, Hayes has played in 179 games and slashed a paltry line of .238/.287/.294 with just six total home runs and an OPS+ of 63.

Yes, he is a defensive upgrade from rookie Matt Shaw, but for as much as Shaw has struggled with a bat in his hands, he is a downgrade at the plate.

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Shaw has also looked leaps and bounds better at the hot corner on defense since being called back up from Triple-A, fielding with more confidence and appearing more and more to be a future star there at the big league level.

The Cubs can't afford to waste innings on developing Shaw with their World Series window open, but trading for Hayes is not enough of a difference maker that the 23-year-old should lose his job. In a month's less worth of games, Shaw has a bWAR of 0.9 compared to just 1.0 for Hayes.

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It's not a crazy prospect for Chicago to want an upgrade from Shaw for this year, but Hayes just simply is not one.

If the Cubs want to look elsewhere for a third baseman over the next couple of weeks, they should absolutely investigate the possibility of adding an offensive force there.

With that being said, a significant move for someone like Hayes does not feel like a deal that makes this team better right now.

For more Cubs news, head over to Cubs On SI.


This article first appeared on Chicago Cubs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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