Pirates get solid return for disappointing former top prospect

The Pittsburgh Pirates have found a taker for third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Pirates traded Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday. In exchange, the Reds received minor league shortstop Sammy Stafura and left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers.

Hayes had been a consensus top 100 prospect from 2019 through 2021, ranked as high as the 15th best prospect in baseball by MLB.com ahead of the 2021 season. He had been considered a five tool prospect, an excellent defensive third baseman with strong bat to ball skills and plus speed who had begun to show some pop in the bat. Hayes was viewed as a future All-Star and a key building block for the Pirates.

While he has been a solid player, Hayes never lived up to expectations. He had produced a .254/.307/.369 batting line in 2,364 plate appearances for the Pirates, hitting 39 homers and 101 doubles while stealing 61 bases. The NL Gold Glove winner at third in 2023, Hayes ranks fifth among active third basemen with 49 runs saved at the hot corner.

In exchange, the Pirates received an intriguing prospect in Stafura. Ranked as the Reds' ninth-best prospect at the time of the deal, Stafura has been lauded for his on-base skills, speed and athleticism. He is expected to remain at short where his athleticism and plus speed could make him an impact player defensively.

Rogers, a 10-year major league veteran, may never throw a pitch for the Pirates. Left-handed relievers are always valuable at the trade deadline and Rogers is in the final year of a three-year, $33 million contract he signed with the Giants during the 2022-23 offseason. He has posted a 2.45 ERA and a 1.455 WHIP over his 33 innings for the Reds, striking out 34 batters with 19 walks.

While the Pirates received a decent prospect and another player that could be flipped in the coming hours, the biggest coup is that the Reds are taking on the remainder of Hayes' contract. He had signed an eight-year, $70 million contract in 2022 and is still due another $36 million after this year. Rogers' salary evens out what the Reds will pay to Hayes this year, but the Pirates managed to move a contract that had become an albatross on their budget.