Reds spared from trade regret after former prospect flops following promotion

When news broke that Sammy Stafura was included in the trade that brought Ke’Bryan Hayes to Cincinnati, some skepticism was natural. After all, the shortstop was ranked in both MLB and Baseball America’s top 10 among Cincinnati Reds prospects, and he had been making a name for himself as one of the better all-around athletes in the system.

Hayes would be blocking top slugger Sal Stewart and displacing third baseman Noelvi Marte. Those roster concerns, though, have shaken out in the Reds’ favor, and the loss of Stafura seems to be similarly manageable.

After joining the Pirates’ organization, Stafura wrapped up his time in the Low-A Florida State League and moved to High-A Greensboro. In 22 games since the promotion, he has a .419 OPS and has had to begin to learn a new position: second base. Although some growing pains can be expected, such immense struggles are surely helping the Reds breathe a sigh of relief after what could have been a costly move.

Pirates trade for Reds prospect Sammy Stafura could have backfired already

One of the primary reasons why the Reds felt comfortable letting Stafura go was their surplus of shortstops. At the top, of course, is Elly De La Cruz, but there are notable prospects at the position up and down the farm system.

Stafura’s replacement at Low-A Daytona, 19-year-old phenom Tyson Lewis, has been on a tear, slugging .449 with a .400 on-base percentage since mid-August. Leo Balcazar has actually cut his strikeout rate as he moved from High-A to Double-A. That’s not to mention this year’s first-round pick Steele Hall and defensive whiz Edwin Arroyo.

Stafura, meanwhile, has jumped from one difficult situation to another. So much so that the Reds may not even have to worry about facing their former prospect as he suits up for a division rival. To make it to the bigs, Stafura would have to leap over top prospect Konnor Griffin. The field isn’t as crowded over in Pittsburgh, but Stafura isn’t a lock to inherit the big-league shortstop job when the time comes.

On the Cincinnati side of the deal, Hayes has been surprisingly good from a hitting perspective. Something about the scenery change has helped the Gold Glover reduce his strikeouts and increase his walks, and he’s started to hit the ball with more authority. His glove itself would have been enough to make the deal worthwhile, but if Hayes continues to hit and Stafura keeps struggling, this may go down as one of the best trades in recent Reds history.

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