Aug 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Austin Hays (9) celebrates after hitting a single against the Kansas City Royals in the third inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
At the 2024 trade deadline, the Phillies really liked their acquisition of right-handed outfield bat Austin Hays. The club sent Seranthony Dominguez and Cristian Pache to the Orioles to get him.
The Phils even planned to play Hays every day, despite what looked like a very strong potential left field platoon between Hays (career .800 OPS against LHP) and Brandon Marsh (career .787 OPS against RHP).
The Phillies have acquired Austin Hays from the Orioles for Seranthony Domínguez and Cristian Pache pic.twitter.com/DkUrm6x1jj
"I do not see him as a platoon player," Rob Thomson said at the time of the trade. "This guy is an All-Star last year. And for whatever reason, I don't know Baltimore's situation, but he wasn't playing every single day. I think that's maybe affected his numbers a little bit. So I want to see what we have here."
Hays, unfortunately, never got the chance to show the Phillies what he could do. He played in 22 games, hitting .256 with a .672 OPS, but battled a kidney infection that Hays called "the hardest thing [he's] ever gone through."
The Phils decided to go in a different direction for left field this offseason, signing longtime Twin Max Kepler.
Outfielder Max Kepler and the Philadlephia Philies are in agreement on a one-year, $10 million contract, sources tell ESPN. The deal, which is pending a physical, will give the Phillies a new corner outfielder in the 31-year-old Kepler. First on the scene: @Feinsand/@ToddZolecki.
The left-handed Kepler's deal with the Phils caught many by surprise, because conventional wisdom indicated the club was looking for a right-handed bat. Kepler has a career .655 OPS against LHP.
And Hays signing with the Reds for half the price now has some Phillies observers scrutinizing the Kepler deal even more closely.
I was considering writing an article about this. I'd have preferred $5 million for Hays. https://t.co/iIhXbVrS2I
But Hays is gone and the Phillies must have liked something about Kepler. Against RHP, at least, a Kepler/Marsh/Castellanos outfield should be productive.
