Cubs Reportedly Have Pirates' Ke’Bryan Hayes on Radar Ahead of 2025 MLB Trade Deadline
The Chicago Cubs have shown interest in Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, according to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Though Hayes isn’t believed to be their top target, he remains on the Cubs’ radar as the MLB trade deadline approaches on July 31 at 6 p.m. ET.
The 2023 Gold Glove winner has spent all six of his MLB seasons with Pittsburgh and is currently batting .238 with two home runs, 31 RBI and a .576 OPS. Defensively, Hayes has turned 18 double plays at third base this season, posting a .984 fielding percentage and a 1.4 dWAR in 89 games.
"I think there's maybe one or two teams that might be willing to take on his contract, cause A. not that much money and B. if you have a lot of slug in your lineup, if you have a lot of power hitters, adding a Gold Glove defender at third base makes sense. So I think there is an above average chance he gets traded," Hiles added.
Hayes is in the midst of an eight-year, $70 million deal with the Pirates and is under team control through the 2029 season, making him an unrestricted free agent in 2030.
In addition to the Cubs, the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers have also expressed interest in the third baseman, per Francys Romero (h/t Sports Illustrated's Dominic Campbell).
