The Philadelphia Phillies made some key additions to their roster this past offseason to help bolster the roster for another World Series run. For some, like Max Kepler and Jordan Romano, they have been absolutely killing it so far this spring for the Phillies. But for others, such as Joe Ross and Jesús Luzardo, they have had some mixed results to date, showing signs of promise and disappointment at the same time. Nevertheless, the Phillies will be counting on their daring offseason moves to be potential difference-makers for the club going forward.
But how about some of the former Phillies who played key roles for the team last season? How have they been performing with their new teams so far? Is Philadelphia missing them more than they should? Let’s take a look at how five former Phillies players from the 2024 MLB season are doing in spring training.
How these 5 former Phillies are doing during spring training
Austin Hays
As one of the key trade deadline acquisition last season, Austin Hays sure had a forgettable tenure with the Phillies. The former All-Star slugger was looking for the opportunity to redeem himself at the time after struggling to produce with the Baltimore Orioles for the most part in 2024. However, Hays’ production was severely limited due to his injury woes during his two-plus months with Philadelphia.
In the end, he managed to only appear in 22 regular season games for the Phillies, posting a .256 average and .672 OPS, along with just eight runs scored, five doubles, two home runs, six RBI and two stolen bases. Hays didn’t fare much better during the Phillies’ postseason run, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in two playoff games.
As a result, Philadelphia moved on from the 29-year-old outfielder in favor of Kepler this winter. Hays landed a one-year, $5 million deal with a mutual option in 2026 with the Cincinnati Reds. So far this spring, Hays has looked great for the Reds, compiling a .276 average and .999 OPS, along with three runs scored, one double, two triples, two home runs, nine RBI and a stolen base to boot in 11 games. That included a huge first impression with the Reds, having a monster preseason game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Austin Hays has 2 HR and 6 (!) RBI today 😱 #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/ZHSjtmy8ci
— MLB (@MLB) February 24, 2025
Just for comparison, Kepler happens to sport an impressive .360 average and 1.284 OPS with seven runs scored, two doubles, three home runs and nine RBI in ten games of action. Whether the Phillies ended up picking the right outfielder for the 2025 season remains to be seen, but with Kepler's strong start, it has made Philadelphia's decision look good so far.