Things may be on shaky ground for the Pittsburgh Pirates and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes.
Play-by-play broadcaster for YES Network and host of the Michael Kay Show, Michael Kay, said that Hayes has requested a trade from the Pirates. He also made his pitch for why Hayes would be a good fit for the Yankees and said that the former gold glove-winning third baseman was unhappy with Pittsburgh. Kay also noted that Hayes’ father, Charlie Hayes, was less than thrilled with the Pirates’ handling of his son’s progression as a hitter
“Ke’Bryan Hayes is a defensive magician at third base,” Kay said. “His hitting is not what it should be, but he’s obviously not happy in Pittsburgh. I talked to Charlie when the Yankees were in Pittsburgh a couple of years ago, and he was like scratching his head about some of the things they do in Pittsburgh with the hitters. Whatever the case may be…if I’m the Yankees, I’m calling the Pirates and go, ‘What do you want?'”
Yesterday on his new show @RealMichaelKay talked about the Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes potential fit with the Yankees.
He said his father Charlie was scratching his head a few years ago with some of things they were doing with the hitters in Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/Q2XeT5hyji
— Julian Guilarte (@JulianGuilarte1) January 16, 2025
Charlie played 14 years in the big leagues and won a World Series with the Yankees in 1996. He was traded from the Pirates to New York earlier that same season.
While rumors of Hayes wanting to be traded have run rampant, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that he hasn’t requested a trade. Stephen J. Nesbitt echoed Hiles’ reporting on Hayes not requesting a trade. Still, Kay’s connection to the Yankees and Charlie could prove there might be some validity to them not being happy in Pittsburgh.
Hayes being the Pirates’ starting third baseman appears to be the most likely scenario to begin the 2025 season, though, one could still envision what a potential trade could look like with the Yankees.
With the Yankees looking to make another push toward reaching the World Series in 2025, they’d likely be willing to pay the price for a third baseman of Hayes’ caliber when he’s fully healthy. Hayes has averaged 15 defensive runs saved and just over 11 outs above average over five years in the big leagues. He’s also just one season removed from having his best season at the plate, batting .271/.309/.453 with 15 home runs and 61 RBIs in 2023.
With Hayes being on a team-friendly contract over the next five seasons, Pittsburgh would likely have a chance to nab one of the Yankees’ better prospects. One who could fit the bill is outfielder and New York’s No. 10 prospect in MLB Pipeline’s rankings, Everson Pereira. The right-handed hitting outfielder can play all three positions and has hit double-digit home runs over the last four seasons in the minor leagues and already boasts big league experience.
Pittsburgh has options to plug in at third base with Jared Triolo and Isiah Kiner-Falefa on the roster. But while the need for an outfielder and depth in the infield could sway judgment, if the Pirates were willing to trade to Hayes, his value is the lowest it has been after struggles at the plate and injuries limiting him to 96 games in 2024. Getting pennies on the dollar for a player like Hayes could backfire on the Pirates both in the short-term and long run.
Whether the rumors are true or not, Hayes has the potential to be an impact player in 2025 if he stays healthy. If the Pirates believe Hayes is still capable of that, they’d likely be better off banking on him bouncing back next season if he indeed wants to stay in Pittsburgh.