After back-to-back winters without much change, it sure seems the Philadelphia Phillies are going to have to shake things up headed into 2025.
Though the Phillies were once looked at as overachievers in the postseason, that trend came crashing down in 2024. The Phillies were bounced by their division rivals, the lower-seeded New York Mets, in the National League Division Series.
There is immense pressure on the Phillies to win a championship while superstar Bryce Harper is in town, and 2024 was a squandered opportunity. The Phillies have to tinker with the parts of their roster that didn't perform up to snuff, and that begins with the outfield.
Notably, the Phillies traded for an outfielder at this season's trade deadline--former American League All-Star Austin Hays of the Baltimore Orioles. But Hays didn't produce as the Phillies hoped he would, plus he struggled to make it to the finish line while dealing with injury.
Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors speculated that the Phillies would likely non-tender Hays this winter after his disappointing second half.
"Hays spent most of his Phillies tenure on the injured list and didn’t produce in limited playing time. He hit .256/.275/.397 with 19 strikeouts and no walks in 80 plate appearances after the trade," Franco said.
"MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Hays for a $6.4MM salary in his final season of arbitration. He’s likely to be non-tendered."
Hays, 29, took a big step back in 2024, continuing his downward trend from the second half of the previous season. He played in just 85 games this season and put up a .699 OPS, including just a .672 mark in 22 regular season games in Philadelphia.
Though Hays may still have the talent to play every day in someone's outfield, the Phillies will likely seek someone who is more than just a middling platoon option to man left field for them in 2024. That means the former All-Star is likely fighting for a contract elsewhere to keep his big-league dreams alive.
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