In a trade deadline twist that few saw coming, the Cincinnati Reds pulled off a divisional stunner. They landed third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for veteran reliever Taylor Rogers and shortstop prospect Sammy Stafura, the club’s No. 9 ranked farmhand. On the surface, it’s a really good move. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find a puzzling contradiction at the heart of it.
The Reds undeniably solved a problem, just not the one most people expected them to prioritize. Cincinnati’s left side of the infield has been a defensive headache for years.