Pirates GM Denies Salary Dumping with Trades

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates made many trades ahead of the deadline, including moving one of their biggest contracts.

The Pirates traded third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds on July 30 for shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura and left-handed relief pitcher Taylor Rogers, who they moved on to the Chicago Cubs on July 31.

Hayes signed an eight-year, $70 million contract extension with the Pirates on April 7, 2022. He makes $7 million each season from 2025-27, $8 million in both 2028 and 2029 and has a $12 million club option in 2030.

The Reds took on the entirety of Hayes contract, which includes $40 million over the next four season and potentially $52 million if they sign him to the club option.

Pirates general manager Ben Cherington spoke on his radio show, the Ben Cherington Show, on 93.7 The Fan and addressed the trade deadline, including Hayes.

Cherington said that they would never make a trade for saving money and it's for using that money elsewhere during that season or during free agency that offseason.

He also that player payroll is only a part of expenses, which includes paying coaches, performance staff, investments in technology and data and more, but that trades are done so that they make team better going forward.

"Yeah I think it's important to emphasize first that if we make a trade involving a player on a contract, as we did in the case of Ke'Bryan [Hayes], we would never make a trade in order to save money," Cherington said.

"That's never part of the calculus, but using that payroll space that is opened up through that trade, in addition to the talent that we get back, using that payroll space on other things can really help the team. Especially if we feel like we have alternatives in house that can replace some of Ke's contributions.

"So that's really the calculus when we think about a trade like that is, "What are we getting back?". "What are the alternatives in the organization to step in and contribute in this spot that we're opening up?" and, "What might we do with that payroll space going forward?"

"If we think adding those three things up gives us a better chance to win, that's why you'd make a trade like that.

"Certainly the story hasn't been fully written on that one, but that's why we make that trade because we believe the combination of those things moving forward gives us a better chance to win"

"So when it comes to the trade themselves and if we're trading a player with salary for example, in almost every case, just about 100% of the time, that is going to back into the payroll..."

The Pirates have consistently had one of the lowest payrolls in the MLB, particularly under owner Bob Nutting, who is in his 19th season at the helm of the franchise since 2007.

Pittsburgh had the fourth lowest payroll coming into 2025 and $20 million lower than the next team in their division.

Pirates fans have protested Nutting throughout the 2025 season with planes, accosting him on the rotunda at the home opener, grafitti and "Sell the Team" chants at PNC Park.

The Pirates currently sit 48-64 overall, 19.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers at the top of the National League Central Divison and 14.0 games back of an NL Wild Card spot.