In a surprise trade to kick off their trade deadline, the Cincinnati Reds have swung a trade for third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes in exchange for LHP Taylor Rogers, minor league infield prospect Sammy Stafura, and cash considerations.
Breaking Down the Ke’Bryan Hayes Trade to the Reds
Hayes’ Offensive Production
Hayes has been worth 1.2 bWAR in 100 games this year, manning the hot corner for an abysmal Pittsburgh Pirates team. To be direct, his offense is essentially a non-factor when looking at his overall production. On the season, he is slashing .236/.279/.290 for a .569 OPS and 59 OPS+. Even in 2024, he slashed .233/.283/.290 for a .573 OPS and a 61 OPS+.
He peaked in 2023 when he posted a .762 OPS and 103 OPS+, by far the best marks in his career (excluding the 1.124 OPS and 201 OPS+ in 24 games in 2020).
The #Reds today acquired 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes from the Pirates in exchange for LHP Taylor Rogers, IF Sammy Stafura and cash considerations. pic.twitter.com/b7SRwoE8fV
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 30, 2025
Cincinnati doesn’t exactly specialize in developing and fixing hitters, especially with current hitting coach Chris Valaika’s old-school philosophy. However, there could be some hope that Hayes can at least retain some of that 2023 production, as a 59 OPS+ simply isn’t going to cut it for a team with postseason aspirations.
The fact that he will be taking half of his at-bats in the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park rather than the pitcher-friendly PNC Park is a good sign for more offensive production, as well as the fact that he will be surrounded by better hitters than in Pittsburgh.
Hayes’ Defensive Production
Hayes’ production stems almost entirely from his defense, where he is legitimately a top-five defender in the league. He has 15 Outs Above Average (OAA) and 16 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) on the season already, which are both far and away the best in MLB.
He has been one of the best third base defenders ever since he debuted in 2020, and that ability certainly isn’t going away any time soon.
How He’ll Fit in Cincinnati
The Reds have had a rotating door of players who have slotted in at third base all season, failing to find consistency. The likes of Jeimer Candelario, Spencer Steer, Noelvi Marte, Santiago Espinal, and Gavin Lux have all had their chance in the hot corner.
Marte has taken on the brunt of the work at third base as of late. While his offense is looking pretty good (.829 OPS), his defense is average at best. He has recorded -2 OAA this season, which is miles better than the -11 OAA mark from 2024, but still around average.
Utility man Espinal’s defensive abilities have impressed fans, but he, too, is average to slightly above average. There have been some rumblings of Reds fans feeling dissatisfied with the addition of Hayes, claiming that he is simply another Espinal. This, however, couldn’t be further from the truth, as Hayes is ten times the defender Espinal is.
This acquisition most likely means the Reds’ third base experience on the season has concluded, as Hayes will be the everyday third baseman and take his hacks at the bottom of the order.
There have been reports of Marte getting reps in right field during pregame workouts, which is most likely where he is headed, as the Reds are doing whatever they can to keep his bat in the lineup.
While it is a huge upgrade defensively, this trade does not improve the offense whatsoever. The Reds will absolutely have to make more trades in order to improve the lineup. For now, though, the addition of Ke’Bryan Hayes is a good move to begin the trade deadline.
Departing Players
As for the two players the Reds have sent to Pittsburgh, reliever Taylor Rogers is the only one currently on the big league team. Despite the 2.45 ERA, Rogers has been one of the more disappointing players for the Reds this year, as he’s struggled heavily with allowing inherited runners and being awful in medium and high-leverage situations.
The majority of his success has come in low-leverage innings, which the Reds already have a plethora of options for.
Prospect Sammy Stafura is a 20-year-old who has performed well in Single-A this year, slashing .262/.393/.411 for an .804 OPS, as well as 28 stolen bases. He is a primary shortstop and should be an interesting piece for the Pirates to work with in the upcoming years.
Main Photo Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
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