Ke'Bryan Hayes returns to Pittsburgh after being traded to the playoff-chasing Reds
He returned to Pittsburgh on Thursday for the first time since he was dealt, with the Pirates opening a four-game series against the Reds.
Hayes' future with the Pirates looked secure after he signed a $70 million, eight-year contract in 2022.
'The reason I signed the contract here in Pittsburgh, I wanted to be here and maybe play here my whole career,' Hayes said. 'But baseball's a business at the end of the day.'
The Gold Glove third baseman went from an organization that was well outside the playoffs race to a Reds team competing for a wild-card spot. Pittsburgh was 49-66 heading into Thursday's game and last in the division; Cincinnati was 60-55 and three games out of a playoff spot.
'It's been great over here," Hayes said. 'They've welcomed me with big arms. We're in playoff contention.'
Hayes, the son of former major leaguer Charlie Hayes and a first-round draft pick by the Pirates in 2015, struggled to find consistency at the plate following his splashy debut during the final month of the COVID-19-shortened season in 2020. He hit .376 with five homers in 24 games immediately after being called up, numbers that he didn't come close to matching while playing a full 162-game schedule.
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