The Reds may be staring at a Ke’Bryan Hayes problem they can’t easily solve, and the Athletics are one of the few teams that could even be mentioned in the same breath as a possible exit ramp.
Cincinnati brought in Hayes at the 2025 trade deadline with defense in mind, but the move has gone sideways fast. Instead of stabilizing third base, the Reds are now carrying the rest of a $23 million commitment from the extension Hayes signed with Pittsburgh, a deal that runs through 2029.
That’s where the A’s enter the picture, at least in theory. If the Reds were looking for a bad-contract swap, Luis Severino is the name that jumps out. He picked up his player option for 2027 and is due $22 million next season after a 2026 campaign in which he made only 12 starts and posted a 4.16 ERA.
Severino’s time in West Sacramento has not gone smoothly. He’s been outspoken about his experience there, and the numbers have only made things worse.
Since 2025, his home and road splits have been extreme, and last season his ERA was nearly two runs higher at home than on the road. With the A’s current ballpark playing like a bandbox and their Las Vegas stadium not set to open until 2028, he’s still got another season of that environment ahead of him in 2027.
On paper, the fit is at least plausible from Cincinnati’s side. The Reds would be looking to unload a contract that has become a burden, and Severino’s deal is shorter.
But the A’s also have to sort out their own infield picture. Zack Gelof handled most of the work at third base last season, starting 66 games there in 2026, while also getting more than 10 appearances at second base and in all three outfield spots.
He could be better suited to a super-utility role in 2027, much like Spencer Steer with the Reds.
Then there’s Max Muncy, not that one. He was one of the least effective defenders at third base last season, finishing with -11 defensive runs saved and -6 outs above average. That at least leaves the door open to imagining Hayes in that mix.
Still, this is where the idea starts to fall apart. The A’s are less than 12 months from being done with Severino’s contract anyway, and unless they want to clear money for a bigger offseason push, taking on Hayes and the three remaining years on his deal would be hard to justify.
So yes, the Reds can squint and see a path out. But it’s a thin one, and probably not one worth banking on.
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For the Reds, Boone represented a direct link to a different chapter of the franchise, one shaped by a baseball man who understood the game from behind the plate and from the managers seat. His time in Cincinnati came in the early 2000s, and his passing adds another name to the list of former Reds figures whose impact is remembered not just for what happened in the standings, but for the steadier imprint they left on the organization. [Read more 🡒]