One of the very top needs for the Philadelphia Phillies this offseason comes in the outfield. The club has Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos penciled into roles for next season, but Marsh can't hit left-handed pitching very well, so there's a need for an everyday left fielder and a potential platoon bat with Marsh.
This need became even more obvious when the Phillies made the somewhat surprising decision to non-tender Austin Hays this past Friday. The 29-year-old was the Phillies' biggest acquisition at this past year's trade deadline, and while he didn't perform all that well in the second half of the season, it's still a little bit surprising to see them cut bait from a position they already have a need at.
Phillies’ decision to non-tender Austin Hays gives them no choice but to make some big moves
Hays, a seven-year veteran, has posted above-average stat lines in every single full season of his career, so there's a track record there that the Phillies' could've looked at when determining whether or not to bring him back for another go-round. Regardless, the move has been made and the Phillies are showing that they mean business when looking for roster upgrades this winter.
In just 22 games post-trade, Hays hit two home runs and drove in six while striking out 19 times and walking zero times. His .256 average and .672 OPS were significant dips from where he had been at with the Orioles, but he has a few trips to the injured list to blame for the lowered production. Either way, he's off the books and is no longer a member of the Phillies.
This means the club can turn their attention to the free-agent market, or even the trade one. Tyler O'Neill, Jurickson Profar, Juan Soto, Teoscar Hernández and Anthony Santander represent the best corner outfield options on the open market, while Cody Bellinger of the Cubs is likely the best-available player on the trade front.
The Phillies should have the financial flexibility to make a move on at least one of these markets this winter, it just remains to be seen how they choose to go about it. One thing's for sure, though: they need outfielders in the worst way.