MLB insiders argue for Yankees' Ke'Bryan Hayes trade with comparison to former hero

Is there more to Ke'Bryan Hayes of the Pirates than "phenomenal defense, bottom-tier bat"? Is there untapped potential in his top prospect frame, despite the nagging back issues that seem to prevent him from getting the ball off the ground? Are there shades of a former New York Yankees World Series hero in his story, or did the Yankees leave that kind of redemptive magic behind in the late '90s?

According to MLB insiders Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Hayes would be the Yankees' second-best third base target this July behind the obvious, Eugenio Suarez. It's undeniable that, at least with his utterly sterling defense, he's guaranteed to provide something none of their incumbents can. It's debatable that, as they claim, "hitting .240" would be a massive improvement, given his power-vaccuum'd 62 OPS+.

Still, you'll have to forgive Sherman for seeing a little ... Scott Brosius in Hayes, a player who brought with him maxed-out expectations in Oakland following Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco and sputtered out, hitting .203 with a .576 OPS in 1997 after blasting 22 homers with a .909 mark the previous year.

The Yankees acquired him for pennies on the dollar prior to the 1998 season, and he immediately became a seamless veteran cog, earning an All-Star appearance at the age of 31 (his first and only) and winning World Series MVP in a four-game sweep over the Padres.

Yankees could turn Ke'Bryan Hayes into Scott Brosius after trade deadline?

New York doesn't need that from Hayes. Not at all. That said, the Yankees' post-trade deadline goal should involve de-emphasizing Anthony Volpe's offensive output and allowing him to get back to basics, lower in the lineup and out of the spotlight. Bringing in a theoretical all-glove, no-bat third baseman changes that calculus a bit; after all, only one of them will be allowed to not hit.

If Hayes can recapture his launch angle and shake off his Pittsburgh allergy, finding his ex-top prospect footing immediately, that would be monstrous. It's easier to bet against a Brosius-esque miracle than assume it'll happen instantly, though. While Hayes has four more years of a team-friendly deal still attached (plus a 2030 team option), the 2025 team is good enough that the pressure for progress will still be instantaneous. It's possible, but unlikely, that the Yankees' second-best trade deadline choice can be spun into gold in the second half.