Ke'Bryan Hayes had plenty on his mind opening day 2022. The season was about to start, he would later have a slight injury scare, and he had just agreed to a franchise record-setting eight-year, $70 million contract.
It was a busy day, to say the least.
Talking with his agent when the Hayes contract was signed, though, there was another thought that may not have been fully realized at that moment, but was important: He wasn't going to sign long-term if they thought the team wasn't going to start investing more into major-league payroll. Hayes was willing to be the first person through the door, but he didn't want to be the only one.