Austin Hays
Nick Castellanos represented Philadelphia's only outfielder who played on a full-time basis in 2024. Marsh, Cristian Pache, Johan Rojas, Kody Clemens and Weston Wilson were not used by Thomson every game. The latter three spent time in the Phillies' minor league system during the regular season, further clouding the stability and lack of depth among the position group.
Dombrowski and general manager Sam Fuld's decision to enter the season with the lack of proven depth in Philadelphia's outfield backfired throughout the season. The front office made a trade with the Baltimore Orioles for Austin Hays in exchange for reliever Seranthony Domínguez and Pache at the trade deadline.
Hays played in 85 contests during the regular season, 22 of them with Philly. He missed time with a hamstring strain in August. The 29-year-old missed time again with a kidney infection in September.
Before Philadelphia acquired him, the left fielder totaled a line of .255/.316/.395 along with a .711 OPS. Hays compiled a .256/.275/.397 line and an OPS of .672 with the Phillies. His numbers were relatively similar between his time with Baltimore and Philly.
Hays' return from a kidney infection did not give him much time to prepare before the start of the playoffs. However, his performance before the illness with the two franchises was average. Thomson views him as a full-time outfielder but he did not always perform as such. The right-handed hitter only started in one of the four postseason contests, Game 3 against the Mets' lefty Sean Manaea.
Hays appeared late in Game 2 and struck out in his only plate appearance. During Game 3, he went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. It does not give confidence that he can be a full-time outfielder for the club next season.
The 29-year-old is estimated to receive $6,470,000 in his final year of arbitration next season, according to Spotrac. Would the front office be willing to pay that to Hays, who underperformed and had two stints on the IL for the club? He could be a trade candidate this offseason.