The A’s have a hole at third base the size of the Strip, and Booney says the solution isn’t in free agency—it’s in Cincinnati. In this episode, Booney makes the full-throated case for why the A’s should steal Ke’Bryan Hayes from the Reds before anyone notices his true value. Hayes, a Gold Glove defender with elite metrics across the board, would instantly transform the A’s infield and give the team its best glove at the hot corner since Matt Chapman. Booney breaks down why Hayes’s contract is a front-office dream—locked up through 2029 at a fraction of the cost of Alex Bregman—and why his glove alone makes him worth the deal.

Then Booney goes deeper: the reality of the 2026 free-agent market, why the A’s can’t pay $15–20 million for mediocrity, and why trades—not signings—are the way to build the Desert Dynasty. From Brett Harris and Max Muncy's defensive struggles to the premiums the A's have to pay for free agents to come to Sacramento. Booney explains why Hayes checks every box the A’s need to fill: young, cost-controlled, elite defensively, and undervalued. This is classic Locked On A’s—no sugarcoating, no nonsense, just smart roster-building talk from a franchise fighting to rise again.

A's trade rumors, Ke’Bryan Hayes trade, Athletics hot corner, A's third base upgrade, A's offseason moves, A's rebuild strategy, Ke'Bryan Hayes highlights, A's vs Reds trade, A's Desert Dynasty, A's 2026 roster, A's podcast, Locked On A's Booney, A's defense 2026, Matt Chapman comparison, A's Vegas rebuild, MLB offseason 2025, A's third baseman targets, A's free agents 2026, A's YouTube podcast, A's baseball analysis

For your next listen, check out the Locked On MLB podcast. Get Sully’s take on MLB! He has it all covered every single day. Click HERE to listen now. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.

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