Reds’ Ke’Bryan Hayes Is Excited To Be In Pennant Race With New Team

Cincinnati Reds’ Ke’Bryan Hayes, right, gets set for a pitch as Pittsburgh Pirates’ Oneil Cruz, left, leads off third base during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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Ke’Bryan Hayes is admittedly still trying to get his bearings after eight adventuresome days.

The Gold Glove-winning third baseman was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Cincinnati Reds on July 30. The Pirates were playing the Giants in San Francisco, and Hayes had to say goodbye to his teammates quickly and fly to Cincinnati, where he was in the Reds’ lineup the next night for their game against the Atlanta Braves at Great American Ball Park.

The Reds played again the following afternoon against the Braves, then both teams flew to Bristol, Tenn., to take part in the MLB Speedway Classic last Saturday. The game was suspended due to rain in the first inning and then completed the following afternoon, which was supposed to be an off day.

The Reds then played a three-game series against the Cubs in Chicago from Monday to Wednesday before flying to Pittsburgh to open a four-game set with the Pirates on Thursday night. When he isn’t at PNC Park, he’ll spend the rest of the weekend packing up his apartment in the Pittsburgh suburbs.

“He’s probably just happy to have some clean clothes,” Reds manager Terry Francona cracked before his team lost to the Pirates 7-0 in the series opener.

Ke’Bryan Hayes Happy To Be With Contender

Hayes isn’t complaining. The 28-year-old is happy to be on a team in contention after being traded from a franchise that is on its way to its 29th losing season in the last 33 years.

The Reds are 11 games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central standings but 3 ½ games behind in the race for the third and final NL wild card.

“It feels good,” Hayes said. “To be in contention, especially late in the year. Everyone here, the players and staff, are going about their days keeping it loose. They also want to win games and stuff like that, but so far, it’s been great. We’ve been in a lot of good games. Got to go down there to Bristol, experience that. Everything’s been good.”

Hayes homered in his Reds’ debut and is 5 for 22 (.227) through his first seven games.

Reds Love Ke’Bryan Hayes’ Defense

However, the Reds’ primary reason for wanting Hayes is his sparkling defense. The Reds feel that he solidifies their infield by playing third base, and in turn, solidifies the outfield because Noelvi Marte has shifted from third base to right field.

Hayes was having an anemic season offensively for the Pirates, though, hitting .236/.279/.290 with two home runs in 100 games. The Reds are hoping a change of scenery will help Hayes at the plate.

The Reds were willing to take on the remaining $37 million on Hayes’ contract, which runs through 2029 with a club option for 2030. Cincinnati also gave up shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura, its second-round draft pick in 2023, in the trade.

“You know what, he kind of has come as advertised: good kid, great kid,” Francona said. “The first game here, he had an error, which is atypical, but you can see watching him, he’s pretty special. He’s hit some balls to right field, which in our ballpark will play. We feel like there’s some more in that bat. We’re excited to have him,”

Pirates Had High Hopes for Ke’Bryan Hayes

The Pirates drafted Hayes in the first round in 2015 following his senior year of high school in Tomball, Texas. Hayes reached the major leagues in 2020 and signed an eight-year, $70-million contract with the Pirates, the team hoping he would become a cornerstone player.

However, it was becoming clear that things wouldn’t work out as planned in Pittsburgh, and both sides needed a fresh start.

“At the end of the day, the reason I signed a contract here in Pittsburgh was I wanted to be here, and maybe play here my whole career,” Ke’Bryan Hayes said on Thursday. “But baseball is a business at the end of the day, and some things have to happen.”

After 10 years in the Pirates’ organization, closure seemed to come when Hayes came to bat for the first time in the third inning on Thursday night. He received a standing ovation and a video tribute played on the scoreboard. Hayes doffed his cap to the crowd in appreciation.

“He had some really great moments here with the Pirates and the way he worked, the way he played defense, he won a Gold Glove, was drafted as a Pirate, grew up as a Pirate, and was here a long time,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “It’s really weird to see him over there in red.”