Minor League Baseball

Pittsburgh Pirates Receiving Highly Touted Infield Prospect in Trade with Cincinnati Reds

The Pirates sent Ke'Bryan Hayes to their division rivals on Wednesday.
Brady Farkas|
Daytona Tortugas Sammy Stafura (3) and Diego Omana (25) talk as the team gets ready for a doubleheader against the Palm Beach Cardinals, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach.
Daytona Tortugas Sammy Stafura (3) and Diego Omana (25) talk as the team gets ready for a doubleheader against the Palm Beach Cardinals, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach. | David TuckerNews-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Cincinnati RedsPittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds kicked off some pre-trade deadline fireworks on Wednesday afternoon, with Pittsburgh sending Ke'Bryan Hayes to Cincinnati for two players.

Per Jeff Passan of ESPN:

Full trade, per ESPN sources:

Cincinnati receives: 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes

Pittsburgh receives: SS prospect Sammy Stafura and RP Taylor Rogers

With regards to Hayes: He's 28 years old and under team control through 2030. A Gold Glove winner, he's regarded as one of the best defenders in baseball. However, the bat has lagged behind, as he's hitting .236 with two home runs and 36 RBIs. He's also stolen 10 bases. A former first-round pick, he is a career .254 hitter with 39 home runs. The Reds are clearly banking on his team control and a hopeful offensive boost from the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park.

Stafura was ranked as the No. 9 prospect in the Reds organization, per MLB Pipeline. A second-round pick of the Reds in 2023, he was taken from the high school ranks. Still just 20 years, he's hitting .262 this season at Single-A Daytona Beach. He's got four home runs and 48 RBIs.

The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

Stafura’s athleticism is an athlete on the dirt as well. He’s played nothing but shortstop thus far in his pro career and there are no plans to change that, and he has the range, hands, actions and arm to stick there long term. The Reds love his passion for the game and his work ethic and think he could make another big step now that he knows what it takes to manage a season-long workload.

The Pirates are in last place in the National League Central and the Reds are 56-52, trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is the senior writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and the host of “The Payoff Pitch’’ podcast, which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. Follow Brady on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady.

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