Pirates 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes exits game with injury after agreeing to team-record $70 million extension

The Pittsburgh Pirates opened another rebuilding season with some happy news, striking a deal to keep one of their best young players in baseball. Hours later, they watched him exit a game with an injury.

Shortly before Pittsburgh's opening day game against the St. Louis Cardinals, third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes agreed to an eight-year, $70 million contract extension according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. The deal is the largest in Pirates history, exceeding Jason Kendall's six-year, $60 million contract signed in 2000.

The deal reportedly contains a club option for a ninth year as well.

Crucially, Hayes did not officially sign the contract, according to Fansided's Robert Murray. The deal was pending a physical, which soon became an important detail.

Not long after the deal was reported, Hayes exited the season opener in the first inning after appearing to injure his wrist while diving for a ball at third base.

Fortunately, Hayes and the Pirates appeared to dodge a bullet, even though Hayes had missed two months last season with a wrist injury. The Pirates announced during the game that Hayes exited due to a spasm in his left forearm.

The team reported Hayes to be day-to-day.

Pirates bet big, but not that big, on Ke'Bryan Hayes

In 120 career games across the last two seasons, Hayes has hit 280/.340/.432 with 11 homers and 10 stolen bases. Previously a consensus top-100 prospect, there was some hope the Pirates had a burgeoning star on their hands when Hayes posted a 1.124 OPS in limited action during the shortened 2020 season, but 2021 saw him struggle after that wrist injury.

If they go through with the deal, the Pirates will be hoping the wrist issue, which can often sap a player's power after returns, was just a blip. However, their investment, while a team record, is hardly a huge one considering what every other MLB team is spending these days. The Pirates entered opening day with a $36.8 million active roster payroll, the smallest in MLB.

A breakout season for Hayes this year would instantly turn this contract into a dramatic bargain, much like the Pirates got with Andrew McCutchen's six-year, $51.5 million extension and proceeded to do little with.

The Pirates previously had five years of team control left with Hayes, so the deal will effectively give them three more years. Hayes is now set to enter free agency after either his age-32 or age-33 season, so this deal would very likely be the largest of his career.