ST. LOUIS -- The starting pitchers started to applaud, which began to ring through Busch Stadium's visiting clubhouse, at which point, Cole Tucker began yelling out, "Rich guy! Rich guy!"
Ke'Bryan Hayes started laughing, in the same understated, collective manner he always keeps.
He just became a very rich guy.
According to a source, the Pirates and their starting third baseman are in agreement on an eight-year, $70 million contract, plus a club option for a ninth year. It's the largest term and amount in franchise history, finally surpassing the six-year, $60 million contract Jason Kendall signed Nov. 18, 2000.
"In my eyes, it shows how much they believe in me with what little time I have in the big leagues," Hayes said of the contract once the din around him had died down a bit. "It's almost a confidence boost for me, just them showing they want me to be a guy who is here for a long time and help lead the way."
The contract starts in 2022 and is pending a physical. A formal announcement is expected Tuesday when the Pirates return to PNC Park after their opening series in St. Louis.
Contract talks started Saturday when the Pirates made an offer and came together quickly from there. The two sides had previously had long-term discussions in 2020 and 2021.
Hayes made clear it was always his intention to stay in Pittsburgh:
Question I just had for the ‘rich guy’ Ke’Bryan Hayes: pic.twitter.com/JhfagKOLu3
— Dejan Kovacevic (@Dejan_Kovacevic) April 7, 2022
"From the get-go when I got drafted, that was one of my main goals, to debut with the team that drafted me and play my whole career there," Hayes said.
There was also a mutual belief that Hayes can be one of the cornerstones as the Pirates build their next competitive club. Hayes thinks that team could come sooner, rather than later.
"With us being so young, a lot of people are going to take us lightly," Hayes told me in Bradenton, Fla. "But even in spring, you could see what those young guys could do. We’re looking forward to it. I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people.”
Hayes, 25, had five years of team control remaining, meaning this team will buy out at least two of his free agent years and a potential third if the option is picked up.
In the first 120 games of his major-league career, Hayes has slashed .280/.340/.432 with 11 home runs and 49 RBIs, being valued at 4.2 WAR and 2.6 wins above average according to Baseball Reference. He has also quickly emerged as one of the premier defenders in the game, being worth 20 defensive runs saved at third base.
Had he played enough innings at the hot corner to qualify, he almost certainly would have been nominated for a Gold Glove last season.
Staying on the field is about the only area of concern for Hayes, who made two separate trips to the injured list and was limited to just 96 games because of a left wrist sprain he suffered the second game of the season. That lingered all year, contributing to him recording just a .689 OPS and 87 OPS+ at the plate, though his defense still made him the Pirates' fourth-most valuable player in terms of WAR (2.4).
Talking to Hayes in spring training, his main -- and only -- goal for this season is to be available for all 162 games this season. That appeared to take a hiccup when he experienced a right ankle injury late in spring, but he and the team were extremely cautious to ensure he would be available for opening day.
Hayes is in the starting lineup Thursday against the Cardinals, batting third and playing third base.
"I've got a job to do today, so that's my number one priority," Hayes said. "But I'm just thankful for this opportunity, for them believing in me for a long time now... I'm just excited to get back to work this year."
FROM THE GAME
Hayes was removed in the first inning of the opener by the medical staff. An exam showed a spasm of his left forearm.
Hayes said he felt a cramp with his thumb and forearm between taking his glove off between pitches and putting it back on.
"Coming out, it was very unfortunate," Hayes said postgame. "Thankfully, it wasn't anything serious."
Hayes made a diving attempt on a popup earlier in the inning, but he said he felt fine after the play.
He also said that he had never experienced a cramp in a game before, outside of playing in some muggy nights in Houston growing up.
The cramp healed up shortly after getting into a hot tub after being removed.
The area of the cramp is independent of the wrist injury he had last year. Hayes reiterated that his wrist has felt fine since completing his rehab this offseason.
His status is day-to-day. He expects to be ready for the Pirates' second game of the season Saturday.
