Michael Kay stirs up Yankees trade buzz around 1996 World Champion's son

Charlie Hayes caught the final out of the 1996 World Series against the railing after narrowly missing the first time just a few seconds prior. If that ends up being his primary footprint on Yankees history, it's a pretty good one.

Still, Michael Kay believes there may be more of a legacy for the Hayes clan in the Bronx, even if the Pittsburgh Pirates' media corps strongly disagrees.

Responding (we believe, at least) to a tweet from frazzled aggregator MLB Scoops indicated that Ke'Bryan Hayes had asked out of Pittsburgh, Kay devoted a segment on his show this week to noting a few related buzzes he'd heard over the years from Hayes' father.

While Scoops' tweet seemed to hold not even a kernel of truth, and was rebutted strongly by Pirates insiders, the voice of the Yankees still added a bit of nuance to the conversation. He referenced an old conversation with Charlie a few years ago, who was reportedly "scratching his head" in 2022 when New York last visited Pittsburgh about how the Pirates were handling their hitters.

Is Pirates' Ke'Bryan Hayes a trade fit for New York Yankees?

Despite some three-year-old Charlie Hayes eyerolls, we have no real evidence that Hayes is currently disgruntled in Pittsburgh. In fact, he seems fairly gruntled, all things considered. He's got long-term financial security, entering Year 4 of an eight-year, $70 million deal with a team option attached for 2030.

That's tremendous value for Hayes' spectacular glove, and they Pirates looked like geniuses when he matched his Gold Glove with a 103 OPS+, 15 homers and .271 average in 2023, his age-26 season. Unfortunately, back issues befell him in 2024, and his offense plummeted (when he was active) to a startling degree (.573 OPS in 96 games).

If Hayes can be a defensive stalwart moving forward, any offense is a bonus, at that salary. But is that the type of black hole the Yankees can afford, given their current setup? Hayes would be an even riskier addition than Nolan Arenado, given the lack of offensive pedigree, dueling back injuries, and lengthier commitment.

Good news, though: the Yankees probably aren't getting either of them, no matter what Charlie Hayes scoffed at in 2022.