The Philadelphia Phillies made a significant and controversial move ahead of Major League Baseball’s non-tender deadline by cutting ties with outfielder Austin Hays. With the 8 p.m. ET deadline looming, the team wasted no time announcing the decision, officially non-tendering the 29-year-old and making him a free agent.
The non-tender deadline serves as the final call for teams to decide whether to offer contracts to their arbitration-eligible players for the upcoming season. Hays was among eight Phillies eligible for arbitration this winter—now reduced to seven following the announcement.
A Trade Deadline Gamble That Didn’t Pay Off
Hays’ departure doesn’t come as a shock to Phillies fans, as his name had been floated as a potential non-tender candidate after the team’s disappointing NLDS exit. Acquired at the 2024 trade deadline, Hays was expected to provide stability in left field but fell far short of expectations.
The Phillies traded outfielder Cristian Pache and reliever Seranthony Domínguez to the Baltimore Orioles for Hays, banking on his 2023 All-Star form to bolster their lineup. Instead, injuries and inconsistency defined his brief tenure in Philadelphia.
Hays battled a hamstring strain and a kidney infection, limiting him to just 22 games in a Phillies uniform. During that span, he slashed .256/.275/.397 with two home runs, six RBIs, and zero walks in 80 plate appearances—a far cry from the production the team desperately needed in their postseason push.
A Pricey Misstep
Hays’ underwhelming performance, combined with his projected $6.4 million arbitration salary, made the decision to move on almost inevitable. The Phillies, facing an offseason of potential roster overhaul, opted to cut their losses rather than gamble on a turnaround.
MLB insider Jon Heyman was first to report the news, which underscores the team’s struggles to capitalize on trade deadline acquisitions. What was intended to address a key weakness instead became a glaring disappointment, adding to the frustration of a season that fell short of expectations.
As the Phillies retool for 2025, the Hays experiment serves as a costly reminder of the risks inherent in midseason trades. Fans now await what changes the front office will make to avoid a repeat of this misstep.
Leave a Reply