Why shouldn't we look at the last half of 2023 plus how Hays has started this year? Especially if there's some consistency to be seen?
On June 20, 2023 Hays was at .327 / .366 / .527. In the 83 games since then he's hit .222 / .286 / .355. The fact that some of those 83 games were in 2023 and some in 2024 doesn't invalidate the trend in his offensive production. Players don't just start from scratch at the beginning of every season. If there's a flaw in their approach in July, August, September, and October of one year should we be surprised if the same flaw appears the next March and April? Of course Hays' problem might not be a flaw in his approach. He might be slowing down, or the scouts for opposing teams have figured him out. But it appears that something changed for the worse in his game midway through last season, and so far he hasn't been able to figure out a way to fix it.
I'm sure Hays and his coaches are aware of what's going on and are trying to find a solution. But he's 29 years old, and an 83 game slump isn't just bad luck. If Hays can't fix whatever's wrong soon then the game has a way of fixing it for him.