The New York Yankees have made several moves to bolster their roster following the loss of outfielder Juan Soto in free agency. However, the departure of second baseman Gleyber Torres still leaves a significant gap in their infield.
Could general manager Brian Cashman address this by trading for Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes? While MLB Scoops on X reported that Hayes requested a trade from the Pirates, several Pirates insiders have dismissed that claim.
Nonetheless, ESPN New York radio host and YES Network announcer Michael Kay discussed how Hayes could be a good fit for the Yankees. “Something has happened that I think solves a problem for the Yanks,” Kay said on Thursday. “Ke’Bryan Hayes, Charlie Hayes’ son, who’s signed to a long-term, very, very reasonable deal with the Pirates, has asked to be traded.
Ke’Bryan Hayes is a defensive wizard at third base. His hitting hasn’t reached its potential, but he’s clearly unhappy in Pittsburgh. I spoke with Charlie when the Yankees visited Pittsburgh a couple of years ago, and he was puzzled by some of the decisions the team was making with their hitters
Now, it’s reported that Ke’Bryan has demanded a trade. If I’m the Yankees, I’m calling the Pirates and asking, ‘What do you want?’” Kay added that he doesn’t expect significant moves from the Yankees unless they can trade starting pitcher Marcus Stroman.
However, he concluded by saying that Hayes would address many of the Yankees’ needs in the infield. Hayes, who will be 28 years old in 2025, won a Gold Glove in 2023 and is under contract for eight years at $70 million, through at least the 2029 season.
