PITTSBURGH — Ke’Bryan Hayes said he thought he might be in Pittsburgh to stay before the Pirates traded him July 30 to NL Central rival Cincinnati.
He returned to Pittsburgh on Thursday for the first time since he was dealt, with the Pirates opening a four-game series against the Reds.
Hayes’ future with the Pirates looked secure after he signed a $70 million, eight-year contract in 2022.
“The reason I signed the contract here in Pittsburgh, I wanted to be here and maybe play here my whole career,” Hayes said. “But baseball’s a business at the end of the day.”
The Pirates played a video tribute to Hayes when he came to bat in the third inning. As the crowd cheered, with many fans standing, Hayes doffed his batting helmet.
The Gold Glove third baseman went from an organization that was well outside the playoffs race to a Reds team competing for a wild-card spot. Pittsburgh was 49-66 heading into Thursday’s game and last in the division; Cincinnati was 60-55 and three games out of a playoff spot.
“It’s been great over here,” Hayes said. “They’ve welcomed me with big arms. We’re in playoff contention.”
Hayes, the son of former major leaguer Charlie Hayes and a first-round draft pick by the Pirates in 2015, struggled to find consistency at the plate following his splashy debut during the final month of the COVID-19-shortened season in 2020. He hit .376 with five homers in 24 games immediately after being called up, numbers that he didn’t come close to matching while playing a full 162-game schedule.
Hayes hit .236 with two home runs and 36 RBIs this season for the Pirates. Through six games with the Reds, he was batting .211 with a homer and three RBIs.
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