The Pittsburgh Pirates were expected to be sellers at this year's trade deadline, but they shocked the baseball world on Wednesday with their first big move.
The Pirates shipped Gold Glove third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds – a National League Central division rival – for veteran reliever Taylor Rogers and Single-A shortstop prospect Sammy Safura. The fact Hayes was traded is hardly surprising, as his name had been coming up in rumors for, well, years. But the destination and the return were certainly head-scratchers.
Make no mistake – this is a salary dump for the Pirates, who will net $36 million in long-term savings after the 2025 campaign as a result of the trade with the Reds taking on the entirety of Hayes' contract.