7 Phillies Who Won't Be Back in 2025 After Major Postseason Letdown
By Jovan Alford
7. Austin Hays
The veteran outfielder was another of Dombrowski’s trade deadline acquisitions this season. But unlike Estevez, the decision to trade for Hays over guys like Randy Arozarena, Brent Rooker, and Jazz Chisholm, didn’t work out.
Hays was brought in to help out in left field with Marsh as someone who can hit left-handed pitching. The former Baltimore Orioles outfield hit .256 with two home runs and six RBI in 22 games with the Phillies.
Overall, for the 2024 season, he hit .354 vs. left-handed pitching, which is great. But the Phillies didn’t see much of it as Hays was on the injured list twice with a hamstring issue and a kidney infection.
Thankfully, Hays rejoined the team in the final week of September after a rehab stint in Triple-A Lehigh Valley. However, that wasn’t enough of a ramp-up for the veteran outfielder as he looked overmatched when called upon in the postseason (0-for-4 with 3 strikeouts).
Hays’ arbitration estimate for 2025 is sitting at $6.4 million, according to Spotrac, which isn’t a lot of money. But the Phillies might feel like that roster spot and cash could be better used for an upgrade in the outfield or to re-sign Hoffman or Estevez.
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