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It appears the Pirates have swung and missed on their attempt to sign 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes this offseason.
According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, Hayes declined an extension offer from the Pirates for a second offseason in a row.
Pirates made extension offer to great young 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes but there’s no traction there. If Pirates should extend anyone, it’s Hayes. Had 1.124 OPS last year, 1.259 in spring. Perennial All-Star ability. Would send nice message. But these early deals are becoming infrequent.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 24, 2021
Hayes got his first cup of coffee at the big league level last season, playing in just 24 of the Pirates’ 60 games last season. However, he projects to be one of the core players for the Pirates in the upcoming years and has been one of the better players this spring, batting an impressive .432 with an OPS of 1.259.
Hayes is under team control until 2027, so the fact the team is looking into extending him this soon is definitely a sign of goodwill. However, it also makes sense for Hayes to not sign the extension this early into his career as his value could definitely boom over the course of the next few seasons.
What are your thoughts, BD community? Chime off in the comments below!