Cincinnati Reds president of baseball operations Nick Krall put Ke’Bryan Hayes in the spotlight during an appearance on MLB Network Radio at this week’s GM Meetings, and his assessment of the third baseman did not line up with what Reds fans have watched.
“Yeah, I mean, I think that Ke’Bryan Hayes had two injuries. He had a back injury and a hip injury throughout the year," Krall said.
"Still an elite defender. If he can just get back offensively to where he was, you know, he’s a very productive everyday player in the big leagues.
But he’s got to get there. He’s got to put the work in to get there this offseason and get himself healthy, ready for spring and ready to go.”
That last part is where the disconnect hits hardest. “Get back offensively to where he was” sounds nice in theory, but Hayes’ track record doesn’t exactly support the idea that there’s some productive version of him waiting to reappear.
After joining the Reds last season, he hit .234/.315/.342. Before that, over a six-year run with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he posted .254/.307/.369.
Neither profile screams “very productive everyday player in the big leagues.”
The frustration in Cincinnati makes plenty of sense because Hayes has become an easy target for a reason. Last season was brutal: a .141/.194/.225 slash line and a 17 OPS+. That means he was 83% worse than league average in 2026.
Even if you strip that nightmare season out, the overall picture still isn’t flattering. Hayes carries a career 86 OPS+. Remove his worst year, 2026, and even his best year, 2023, and the bat still sits below .650 with an on-base percentage under .300.
The Reds’ trade for Hayes in 2025 now looks like a move they’re stuck managing. Pittsburgh didn’t land a generational prospect in the deal - Sammy Stafura was sent to the New York Mets at the August 3 deadline and is still at High-A - but Cincinnati is on the hook for the rest of Hayes’ $27 million contract through 2029.
For now, the Reds have no plans to move on from him this offseason. Still, the concern is obvious: Cincinnati can’t afford to keep giving everyday at-bats to a player who has been this unproductive when options like Edwin Arroyo, Carter Graham, or another top prospect could be in line for those reps. Another season like 2026 would only sharpen the pressure for a roster change.
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