Report: Cubs Showing Interest in Trade With NL Central Rival

Report: Cubs Showing Interest in Trade With NL Central Rival originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Chicago Cubs have shown flashes of being a legitimate World Series contender so far this season. However, there are still major roster holes that need to be filled.

With the trade deadline just a few short weeks away, the Cubs are a team to watch closely.

Jed Hoyer and company know how good this team is capable of being. He is widely expected to be very busy in trade discussions as the deadline continues to draw closer.

Keeping that in mind, a new report has Chicago being interested in pulling off a trade with the National League Central division rival Pittsburgh Pirates.

According to a report from Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Cubs are among the teams interested in trading for Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes.

"Ke’Bryan Hayes is no stranger to trade rumors. However, sources indicated to the Post-Gazette that this year, the smoke around Hayes’ name seems to be more legitimate," Hiles wrote. "The Post-Gazette confirmed that the Yankees, Tigers and Cubs have all asked about Hayes, although there are seemingly a few other clubs that have also expressed interest."

Hayes would be an interesting pickup for Chicago. He would be able to come in and provide another option alongside the young Matt Shaw, who has struggled in his first Major League season thus far.

During the 2025 MLB season with Pittsburgh, Hayes has played in 83 games. He has hit two home runs to go along with 29 RBI's, while batting .243/.292/.299.

On the outside looking in, a trade for Hayes would be a bit confusing. Hayes would not be an upgrade over Shaw at the plate. Shaw has also been great defensively.

This is a situation to keep an eye on, but a trade coming to fruition would not improve the Cubs much if at all.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.