On Wednesday, the Cincinnati Reds pushed over their biggest trade deadline domino since 2019 and struck a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates for Ke'Bryan Hayes. In Hayes, the Reds are getting a stellar defensive third baseman to play alongside the Elly De La Cruz for the next several seasons.
The Reds also added another arm to the rotation late on Wednesday night with the addition of Tampa Bay Rays starter Zack Littell. It's expected that Nick Martinez will now move to the bullpen, and Littell will take his spot int he Reds starting rotation.
While Hayes' significant upside was undoubtedly one of the reasons the Reds pulled the trigger, another driving factor that may have influenced Cincinnati's decision was his long-term, and relatively inexpensive contract.