Hayes Traded to Division Rival

S. Samek

The Pittsburgh Pirates traded away third baseman Ke ‘Byran Hayes today to a division rival the Cincinnati Reds. Left-handed pitcher Taylor Rogers and shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura are heading over in the deal. Stafura was the ninth rated Reds prospect at the time of the trade. They also received cash considerations.

Stafura becomes the Pirates seventh ranked prospect now. He was at A level Daytona, so he is most likely being sent to Bradenton after this trade. He is hitting .262 with four home runs and 48 RBIs in 88 games played. He has also stolen 28 bases this season. Which pairs well with his run grade of 65. However, he has only played shortstop in the minor leagues and that could be a problem in a Pirates system stacked with shortstop talent. Will be interesting to see if he moves around to other positions, or sticks there for now.

Rogers is a 10-year MLB veteran pitcher. In 33 innings this season he has a 2.45 ERA and is a free agent after this season. he could be a decent piece in the relief pitching core especially if a couple relief pitchers are traded.

Hayes is a 2023 gold glove award winner. However, while his defense is great his hitting hasn’t been. He has just a .236/.279/.290 slash line with two home runs ,36 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

The Reds are currently three games out of a wild card spot and right games behind in the Central Division. Though they look to be making a push this season.

It should be interesting to see how it pans out for both teams. Who will win this deal? Tune in and find out. Although according to ESPN it was graded as a win for the Pirates. Still worth keeping an eye on to see if that’s true.