Pirates Sign Ke'Bryan Hayes to Largest Contract in Team History
Story by Yinzer Crazy Featured Pirates Contributor David Stegon. Follow him on Twitter @DavidStegon
The Pirates officially posted the lineup for today’s game in St. Louis just before noon with Kevin Newman batting fifth and Diego Castillo on the bench, a pair of announcements that made me officially want the lockout to start back up again.
My mental health quickly improved two hours later when reports surfaced that the Pirates signed third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to an 8-year (!) extension worth $70 million (!!).
It is the largest contract in Pirates history, which is kind of depressing when you think about it, but a gigantic positive step for a franchise and fanbase that has spent the past seven years routinely getting kicked in the nuts. (And yes, I understand some of that nut kicking has been self-inflicted).
I’ll try to put the Hayes deal in more context later, but here are some quick thoughts in no particular order:
- This is fucking awesome.
- The contract looks incredibly team-friendly as it averages to just under $9 million per year. Hayes has such a high floor because of his elite defense, making it hard to imagine that he will not outperform this contract even in a worst-case scenario. If he becomes the hitter we all think he can, this is a downright steal.
- With that said, Hayes is now a very rich man. I’m sure he could have gone year-to-year in an effort to make more but this guarantees him a huge paycheck. I wonder how important that was for him following last year’s injury-plagued season.
- I’m happy for Hayes. He is a great young man. I joked with a friend the other day that Hayes was born a 35-year-old man. He is incredibly mature and handles the game with a professionalism he undoubtedly got from his dad. If the Pirates were not going to invest in an all-around great guy and player like Hayes, who would they invest in?
- The Young Bucs have their leader. The coming wave of Pirates talent that includes guys like Cruz, Gonzales, Davis, and heroes yet to be named has a captain. After nearly a decade of disfunction, we are hopefully heading toward a period of stability.
- I do wonder what this means for Reynolds. By all accounts, the Pirates have not even approached him about an extension. I’m not saying it’s the right move, but maybe Cherington feels Reynolds is a tad too old to be part of the next winning group? Based on their proximity to free agency, I feel like Reynolds should have been a priority over Hayes. Maybe I’m wrong.
- The fan base really needed this. It has been pretty toxic in Pirates land lately with the Stallings trade, taking Reynolds to arbitration, and the continued existence of Newman. Signing Hayes to this deal offers hope and ensures fans several years of watching a top player lead their team.
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