The New York Yankees' need at third base is well-documented at this point.
Since making the correct decision to shift Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to his natural position of second base, the Yankees have been deploying a light-hitting third base platoon of Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas, which won't cut it during a pennant chase.
Arizona Diamondbacks star Eugenio Suárez is the most obvious trade target, but that's assuming his team makes him available, which is far from guaranteed. At a minimum, the Yankees have to be exploring a few backup options at the position.
One of those backup options, as it turns out, is the son of a former Yankees World Series champion.
On Tuesday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Yankees are "discussing" Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes, along with the Colorado Rockies' Ryan McMahon, as potential fallback targets.
"The Rockies’ Ryan McMahon and the Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes are also being discussed," Heyman wrote.
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"McMahon is hitting better after a brutal start, and Hayes continues to underachieve original projections. Maybe a trade to the Yankees would energize Hayes —son of former Yankee Charlie Hayes — who at least has the right bloodlines."
The younger Hayes, who was born only three months after his father won the Fall Classic with the Yankees in 1996, is a Gold Glove defender. But after putting together a solid offensive season in 2023, his numbers have absolutely cratered.
Here are Hayes' OPS figures in each of the last three seasons: .762 (124 games), .573 (96 games), .576 (89 games).
That, plus the $35 million Hayes is owed from 2026 to 2029 is going to make it awfully difficult for the Yankees to sell to their fan base that this idea is a good one.
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