When news broke that Sammy Stafura was included in the trade that brought Ke’Bryan Hayes to Cincinnati, some skepticism was natural. After all, the shortstop was ranked in both MLB and Baseball America’s top 10 among Cincinnati Reds prospects, and he had been making a name for himself as one of the better all-around athletes in the system.
Hayes would be blocking top slugger Sal Stewart and displacing third baseman Noelvi Marte. Those roster concerns, though, have shaken out in the Reds’ favor, and the loss of Stafura seems to be similarly manageable.
After joining the Pirates’ organization, Stafura wrapped up his time in the Low-A Florida State League and moved to High-A Greensboro.