May 28, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Ke'Bryan Hayes against the Arizona Diamondbacks in at Chase Field Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Cubs Reportedly Among Teams 'Closely Monitoring' Pirates Star Ke'Bryan Hayes

Originally posted on Chicago Cubs on SI | By Brad Wakai | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 9:00 AM ET

This past offseason, the Chicago Cubs knew they had a potential problem on their hands at third base following their decision to include Isaac Paredes in the trade package for Kyle Tucker.

It was a no-brainer to acquire the type of talent that Tucker is, and that decision has largely helped them become one of the best teams in the National League this year. However, the flip side of that move has also reared its ugly head.

After the Cubs weren't able to land Alex Bregman in free agency, they turned to star prospect Matt Shaw to man the hot corner, something that has resulted in more downs than ups.

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The youngster was already optioned back to Triple-A Iowa once this season, and while his second stint in The Show has gone much better than the first, Chicago still has the second-lowest wRC+ and fWAR at the third base position out of every team in the MLB.

Because of that, third basemen should be on the list of trade deadline targets.

And according to baseball reporter Francys Romero, they have their sights set on Ke'Bryan Hayes of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Several teams are closely monitoring 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes as a trade piece, according to industry sources.

Hayes is one of the players most likely to be traded, with the Tigers, Yankees, and Cubs among the potential suitors.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) June 28, 2025

The Pirates seem destined to do a fire sale, with reportedly only franchise icon Andrew McCutchen and pitching phenom Paul Skenes being untouchable.

Hayes could be one of the most interesting trade chips ahead of this year's deadline.

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He's one of the best defenders at his position, but his offense has fallen off a cliff compared to what it was in 2023 when he peaked at having an OPS+ that was three points above the league average.

Entering Wednesday's slate of games, Hayes is slashing .247/.297/.305 with just two homers and 29 RBI, not exactly the offense upgrade Chicago could be searching for at the hot corner.

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The lack of offense from Hayes makes this a weird trade fit, especially because he's under contract through the 2029 season with a club option for 2030.

Still, this is something to keep an eye on.

The Cubs need an upgrade at third base, and with the deadline a few weeks away, it seems like the front office is starting to circle their targets.

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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