Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski did a great job upgrading the talent on the roster ahead of the MLB trade deadline .
The lineup was improved with the addition of Luis Arraez , who brings a much-needed new dimension to the club with his contact-centric approach. Their bullpen is much stronger with right-hander Caleb Kilian and left-hander Brooks Raley being brought aboard.
However, some hurdles still have to be overcome. Adding Arraez means changing the defensive alignment, with Bryce Harper heading to the outfield. Bryson Stott is going to third base, and Alec Bohm is going to first base.
Arraez is a great addition to the mix, but the Phillies needed a right-handed hitting outfielder and acquired a left-handed hitting second baseman . Alas, they may have a chance to rectify that miss ahead of the deadline.
Aug 31, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Austin Hays (9) hits a double during the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman on X, the Chicago White Sox are planning to place outfielder Austin Hays on release waivers. He has missed most of the season because of injury, but he was set to be activated from his rehab assignment.
A reunion with him would make a ton of sense for Philadelphia and is something the team should strongly consider pursuing.
While fans remember how poorly he performed after the team acquired him from the Baltimore Orioles ahead of the trade deadline in 2024, as a non-factor in the postseason too, he can provide exactly what they are looking for in an outfielder who mashes left-handed pitching.
Last season with the Cincinnati Reds , Hays had a .319/.400/.550 slash line against southpaws in 105 plate appearances. 14 of his 29 hits against lefties went for extra bases, as he crushed them throughout the year.
For his career, Hays has an .816 OPS against left-handed pitching, with a .340 on-base percentage that would look mighty fine in the Phillies' lineup and a .477 slugging percentage.
Adding someone of his caliber to the mix would help bolster the team's chances of qualifying for the playoffs in the National League and making a deep run in October. Philadelphia hasn't hit lefties well all season, especially their right-handed batters, and Hays could help change that.
Derek Hill and Bryan De La Cruz have both performed well in their role, but adding Hays could solidify things even more. It would likely push Bohm, whom the team shopped ahead of the deadline , into a platoon/reserve role, which would also help the team based on his performance in 2026.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/phillies/onsi as Phillies Need to Strongly Consider Reunion With White Sox Outfielder Being Released .
