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Jesse Rogers
The Cincinnati Reds have acquired third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers and shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura, it was announced Wednesday.
The 28-year-old Hayes, who is signed through 2029, is hitting .236 with two home runs and 36 RBIs in 369 at-bats this season for Pittsburgh, where he has spent the entirety of his six-year career.
Cincinnati is three games back in the race for the final National League wild-card spot entering Wednesday’s games. The Pirates are last in the NL Central and rank near the bottom or at the bottom in the majors in most significant offensive statistical categories.
The Reds rank 28th in OPS from their third basemen this season, compiling a .620 mark. Hayes has a career .676 OPS while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense. He won that award in 2023 but hasn’t progressed offensively in the same manner. His OPS has dropped in each of the past three seasons and is currently at a career-low .569.
Hayes’ 16 defensive runs saved this season is eight more than any other MLB third baseman, according to Sports Info Solutions.
The son of former major leaguer Charlie Hayes, he will make $7 million in 2026 and 2027 and $8 million in 2028 and 2029. The Reds also will hold a $12 million option in 2030.
The Pirates have several internal options to replace Hayes in the short-term, including Jared Triolo, who won a Gold Glove as a utility infielder in 2024. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Pittsburgh’s everyday shortstop this season, moved over to third for Wednesday’s game against the Giants.
Rogers, 34, appeared in 40 games for the Reds this year, compiling a 2.45 ERA while giving up just three home runs in 33 innings. The 10-year veteran, who was an All-Star selection with the Twins in 2021, will be a free agent after this season.
Tyler Rogers, his identical twin brother, was traded just hours later from the San Francisco Giants to the New York Mets. According to ESPN Research, it’s believed to be the third time in MLB history that brothers were traded midseason on the same day.
Stafura, 20, was with Class-A Daytona, hitting .262 with four home runs and 48 RBIs in 88 games. He was a 2023 second-round pick by Cincinnati and was just outside their top 10 prospects, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.
The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report.