Why Reds Should Keep Ke’Bryan Hayes and Focus on Bigger Issues

Photo: Redleg Nation Staff Why the Reds shouldn’t replace Ke’Bryan Hayes in free agency Doug Gray 10/11/2026 3 Cincinnati owes Ke’Bryan Hayes $29,000,000 over the next 3+ seasons. He’s owed $7,000,000 in 2027, $8,000,000 in both 2028 and 2029, and there’s a $12,000,000 option for 2030 that also has a buy out for $6,000,000. Hayes is coming off of the worst season of his career. And he hasn’t shown anything close to an ability to hit since 2023. His OPS in 2024 was .573. In 2025 it was .595. Then this past season it was .419 for the Reds as…