Pirates have a Ke’Bryan Hayes dilemma

It’s time to have an honest conversation about Ke’Bryan Hayes, because time could be running out to rebound his career and his time in a Bucco uniform.

In the shortened 2020 season, Hayes looked like the next best thing since the prime of Andrew McCutchen when he received the call to the show, exceeding the hype around him. In a small sample size of 24 games, Hayes hit .376 and had an OPS of 1.124 with 5 home runs. He looked like the only shining light that would one day bring the Pirates out of a gloomy rebuild.

But ever since, despite his consistent gold glove at the hot corner, his offensive production has been highly disappointing. His overall 2023 offensive numbers were solid, along with…