It’s been yet another brutal season for Pittsburgh Pirates fans. Despite winning 12 of their last 17 games, the Pirates are well out of the playoff picture at 15 games below .500. Resigned to missing the postseason for the 10th straight year, Pittsburgh sold at the trade deadline.

The team moved several players in an attempt to bolster the farm system in what’s become a perpetual rebuild. The Pirates shipped Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds in a trade that was hard for fans to accept. Hayes returned to Pittsburgh on Thursday for a three-game series between the division rivals.

The sixth-year veteran received a warm welcome from the crowd at PNC Park. But the broadcast of the game put the Pirates’ decision to move him into perspective. “When Ke'Bryan Hayes was signed here in Pittsburgh in 2022, owner Bob Nutting said, ‘It's time for us as an organization to put a stake in the ground.' Three years later he was traded to a division rival,” per Platinum Key on X.

Pirates face Ke’Bryan Hayes after Reds trade

Jul 31, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Reds third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes fields the ball and throws before the start of the game against the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park.
Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Hayes signed an eight-year, $70 million extension with the team at the start of the 2022 season. The slick fielding third baseman then rewarded the Pirates by leading the majors with 3.1 dWAR. The following year he won a Gold Glove for his work at the hot corner while posting the best offensive campaign of his career.

Hayes continued his excellent defensive work this season but his offense has tailed off. He’s slashing .233/.273/.291 with three home runs, 39 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 108 games between the Pirates and the Reds in 2025.

Several teams showed interest in Hayes at the trade deadline. But Pittsburgh chose to keep him in the division by making a deal with Cincinnati. The Reds added a player with five years of club control after the 2025 season.

While Cincinnati is still in the playoff hunt at just 3.5 games back in the Wild Card race, Hayes could be a big part of the team’s future. He solidifies the left side of the infield, working next to All-Star shortstop Elly De La Cruz.

In return for the 28-year-old third baseman, the Pirates received prospect Sammy Stafura and veteran reliever Taylor Rogers. However, Pittsburgh then traded Rogers to another division rival, the Chicago Cubs, for minor league outfielder Ivan Brethowr.

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