Yankees Urged to Tap Into Their Past to Find Future Infielder

On his ESPN show, Kay suggested the Yankees reach out to the Pirates and ask about acquiring Ke’Bryan Hayes, the son of former third baseman Charlie Hayes.

"He's obviously not happy in Pittsburgh. I talked to (his father) Charlie when the Yankees were in Pittsburgh a couple of years ago, and he was scratching his head about some of the things they do in Pittsburgh with the hitters, whatever the case may be," Kay said. "You put him in a stable organization with the coaching and support from the Yankees' staff, I think you would get the best of Hayes."

Hayes, a Gold Glove third baseman, has struggled at the plate. Last season, he hit just .233/.283/.290 with four home runs before he was shut down with a back issue in August. According to Baseball Savant, he’s in the top 90 percentile in Fielding Range (outs above average) and the top 78 in Fielding Run value.

Local reporters disputed reports that Hayes had asked to be traded. The Pirates invested in Hayes as the future of their franchise. In April 2022, Hayes signed an eight-year, $70 million contract extension, the biggest deal in franchise history.

That contract, however, is team-friendly for a franchise like the Yankees when considering potential third basemen. He will make just $7 million for the next three seasons, $8 million in 2028 and 2029, and $12 million in 2030. There is a team option for $12 million in 2030.

The Yankees have tapped into the Pirates’ roster and found a diamond in the rough before. They acquired a then-middling reliever, Clay Holmes, from the Pirates at the trade deadline in 2021.

Kay admitted the Yankees are not in a position to make this move yet. The Yankees are trying to trade veteran right-hander Marcus Stroman to clear his $18-million salary (with a potential $18-million vesting option for 2026) from their payroll.