PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are trading Gold Glove-winning third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to Cincinnati for veteran reliever Taylor Rogers and shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the trade was not official.
The swap gives the Reds an elite defender at the hot corner with a manageable contract. The 28-year-old Hayes, a Gold Glove winner in 2023, has five-plus years left on the extension he signed with Pittsburgh in 2022 and will make $7 million in 2026 and 2027, $8 million in 2028 and 2029 before rising to $12 million in 2030.
Hayes, the son of former major leaguer Charlie Hayes and a first-round draft pick by the Pirates in 2015, has struggled to find consistency at the plate since 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 is hitting .236 with two home runs and 36 RBIs this season for the Pirates, who sit in last place in the NL Central thanks largely to an offense that ranks near the bottom or at the bottom in the majors in most significant statistical categories.
The Pirates have several internal option 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 the Pirates’ series-finale against San Francisco on Thursday.
Rogers remains an effective left-handed option out of the bullpen at 34. The 10-year veteran, an All-Star with Minnesota in 2021, is 2-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 40 appearances with the Reds this season.
Stafura, 20, was a second-round pick by Cincinnati in 2023. He is hitting .262 with four home runs and 48 RBIs in 88 games with Class A Daytona this season.
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