Cincinnati Reds Made Massive Mistake With Ke’Bryan Hayes

When the Cincinnati Reds acquired Ke’Bryan Hayes from the Pittsburgh Pirates in July of 2025, they believed they were getting a dependable defender at third base who could contribute as a defender and in the lineup. It has not worked out that way.

Hayes finished the 2026 season with a .141 batting average, .194 on-base percentage and .225 slugging percentage across 94 games. He recorded five home runs and nine RBIs in 227 at-bats, producing a .419 OPS.

His season was also interrupted by a bulging disc in his lower back that cost him 42 games. He spent time working in Arizona on drills aimed at rebuilding his swing while on the IL. When he returned from the injured list though, he never found any offensive consistency the rest of the way.

The trade that got Hayes to Cincinnati saw them send left-handed reliever Taylor Rogers and infield prospect Sammy Stafura to Pittsburgh. Cincinnati’s decision to absorb Hayes’ contract was intended to add a dependable defender at third base, but his limited offensive output and health issues have complicated the return on that investment.

Hayes signed an eight-year, $70 million extension with Pittsburgh in 2022. His salary commitments include $7 million in 2027, $8 million in 2028 and $8 million in 2029, plus a $12 million club option for 2030 with a $6 million buyout.

That leaves at least $29 million in remaining obligations if the option is declined, money that will weigh on Cincinnati’s roster flexibility as it tries to improve a team that went 75-87 and finished fifth in the NL Central, 28 games behind Milwaukee.

The Pirates, who received Rogers and Stafura in the deal, finished third at 82-80. That gap does not prove the trade caused Cincinnati’s problems, but it reinforces how differently the two organizations are positioned heading into the offseason.

Hayes’ defensive reputation remains the counterpoint to everything else. He has won two Gold Gloves, including one in the NL after joining the Reds, and elite defense at third base saves runs even when the bat goes quiet. The question for Cincinnati is whether that value justifies the contract and what it costs the roster in flexibility.

His 2026 line is a sharp decline from his 2023 season in Pittsburgh, when he hit .271 with 15 home runs and a .762 OPS. Whether he can get back to something resembling that level is the bet the Reds are now stuck making.

Moving him would not be easy. Another team would need to believe in a rebound and be willing to take on some of the remaining money. Keeping him means hoping the back heals fully and the swing work in Arizona translates. Neither option is a good one, and the move was a mistake.