Reds Beat: Ke’Bryan Hayes Acquisition Proves Reds Trying To Think Outside The Box, Free Up Noelvi Marte

CINCINNATI — Many Reds fans may not want to hear this but the their favorite team is doing what it can within its significant limitations.

Exhibit A is Wednesday’s acquisition of Ke’Bryan Hayes as their new everyday starting third baseman. Hayes was acquired from Pittsburgh Wednesday for pitcher Taylor Rogers, minor league infielder Sammy Stafura and cash considerations.

While many observers and experts have been clamoring for the club to go out and add an impact bat, President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall took a different. He knows he’s going to have to pay a steep price and likely overpay for a bat like Byron Buxton or Geno Suarez. Would that fill a need? Sure, but it would also likely cost them a top prospect or two.

Krall isn’t going to fall into that trap and he made that much clear after announcing the Hayes acquisition for Taylor Rogers and Sammy Stafura and cash before Wednesday’s series finale with the Dodgers.

“No matter what, we’re going to have to be a team that continues to develop through our own player pipeline,” Krall told me. “As much as we want to go out and do this or this, we have to continue to develop those guys. Two guys that are in Triple-A that got to Triple-A two weeks ago, Hector Rodriguez and Sal Stewart have gone to Triple-A, played really well and have a chance to make an impact on this club. It’s really hard to give guys like that up, because that is your future. That is your long term future, and it’s not too far away. So it’s really important that for us in this market to be able to develop from within in everything we do. So yeah, you do have to protect some of those guys.”

If you’re the Cincinnati Reds, operating with a $116 million payroll, you have no other choice. Fans can call ownership cheap but the reality is the Reds strength has to be in their player development.

Hayes, at $7 million annually, becomes the fourth-highest paid player on the roster behind Nick Martinez, Brady Singer and Emilio Pagan on Cincinnati’s payroll. The irony is that the Pirates are desperate to shave payroll and the Reds, despite being a division rival, were a very suitable partner.

There remains a gross inequity in competitive balance in baseball but the Reds are trying to do something about it. They need to be more like the Milwaukee Brewers and less like the Philadelphia Phillies or Los Angeles Dodgers.

Krall and general manager Brad Meador decided if they can’t or won’t spend baseball and financial capital to get their bat, then why not try upgrading another glaring area of need, an everyday third baseman who’s not a liability but rather one of the very best defensively in the game.

After what Reds fans have witnessed in the last two games against the Dodgers and in general, over the course of the season, the Hayes addition should be welcomed with open arms.

Hayes, 28, was a Rawlings Gold Glove Award-winning third baseman in 2023. According to The Fielding Bible, his 92 defensive runs saved since 2020 are the most by any Major League player at any position. He leads all third basemen this season with 16 defensive runs saved and is the active Major League leader at that position with a .981 fielding percentage.

A big part of this trade is improving the Reds’ infield defense, another part is acquiring a player under team control for at least the next three seasons and another is trying to physically and psychologically free up Noelvi Marte for right field on a regular basis.

“It allows Marte to go focus on the outfield,” Krall said. “It allows us to get a guy who’s the best defensive third baseman in baseball. We think there’s a lot of underlying metrics to where he is and what he’s doing offensively to improve and get back to where he was a couple years ago, and we’re really excited. Not every day you get a chance to get a guy that is an elite defender.

“He’s got above average speed. He really wants to play out there. It is something that he wants to do. So it’s important that he’s completely bought into doing it. He has an instinct for the ball to go, to track it down. Obviously, he’s going to need reps and there’s going to be some growing pains there. But him wanting to do it first and foremost is a key. And we’ve talked about this, we have a lot of infielders and not as many outfielders. But for a guy that wants to go out there and has a chance to be above average arm, above average speed and instincts to play, it takes some time, but we’re excited to get him out there.”

Hayes, in 2023, received from the local chapter of the BBWAA the Roberto Clemente Award as the Pirates’ team MVP. He was Pittsburgh’s Opening Day starter at third base for each of the last five seasons.

Rogers went 2-2 this season with a 2.45 ERA in 40 relief appearances. He was acquired by the Reds along with cash considerations in a January 29 trade with the Giants that sent RHP Braxton Roxby to San Francisco. Stafura was selected by the Reds in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft. In 88 games this season with A-Daytona, he batted .262 with four homers and 28 stolen bases.