Reds might be forced to rethink Ke'Bryan Hayes role if this continues

There might not be a more polarizing player in the entire league than Cincinnati Reds third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes. He can make a case for the best defender, regardless of position, in the game today. He can also make a case for the worst-hitting regular in all of Major League Baseball. The dichotomy is striking.

The Reds knew what they were getting when they traded for Hayes at last year's deadline. They were willing to put up with a below-average bat if it catapulted the defense to another level.

There's a limit to how much Cincinnati can afford Hayes' bat to fall off, though. He came to the Queen City with a .569 OPS during his first 100 games of the 2025 campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Post-deadline, he posted an OPS nearly 100 points higher, coming in at .656. Not ideal, but acceptable given his otherworldly defensive prowess.

So far in 2026, the opposite is happening. Instead of moving towards offensive respectability, Hayes is plummeting to concerning depths. It's only been six games, but Hayes' .083/.214/.083 line is cause for concern and could soon have the Reds taking drastic action.

The Reds might have to phase out Ke'Bryan Hayes, clearing the outfield logjam in the process

There's another piece to the Hayes puzzle that's worth considering. His 2023 season showed real promise as his 101 wRC+ showed he could be at least a league-average hitter, which in turn would make him very valuable thanks to his defense. But injuries and other roadblocks have consistently cropped up in the years since.

It's something that has frustrated Hayes, who, as a prospect, was also considered a potential impact hitter as well as defender.

“Coming up, I always hit. Since I’ve been in the big leagues, I haven’t been fully healthy since when I debuted in 2020. Whenever I was healthy, I hit," Hayes said. "Sometimes it’s kind of annoying to only be looked at [for defense], but that’s for me to change that narrative with my play on the field," he told MLB.com.

He is running out of time to change it. With Eugenio Suarez on the roster and more quality outfielders than there are spots, one has to wonder at what point Cincinnati goes the other direction and sacrifices defense for offense.

Suarez could easily move to the hot corner, which in turn would open the DH spot for players like Spencer Steer, TJ Friedl, Noelvi Marte, Will Benson, and Dane Myers to rotate through, while whoever isn't occupying that spot on a given day can man the outfield.

Turning Hayes into a backup and defensive replacement might make a bigger overall impact on the team's fortunes than having his glove in the field every day would. Of course, if that were to happen, it would confirm that Hayes has become a sunk cost that will be particularly damaging to the Reds' future financial flexibility.

The Reds haven't arrived at this point yet, and Hayes doesn't have to hit a ton to be a net-positive, but he does have to hit some. If it doesn't start happening soon, then the conversation will come, making him a player to watch intently over the next few weeks.