Baltimore Orioles Trade All-Star Outfielder Austin Hays to Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to trade reliever Seranthony Domínguez and outfielder Cristian Pache to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for outfielder Austin Hays.

Jul 21, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Baltimore Orioles left fielder Austin Hays (21) slides into third base during the second inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have traded outfielder Austin Hays to the Philadelphia Phillies, the teams announced Friday afternoon.

The Phillies sent right-handed pitcher Seranthony Domínguez and outfielder Cristian Pache back to the Orioles to complete the deal.

Hays, who had worn No. 21 in Baltimore since 2019, is switching his jersey number to No. 9 in Philadelphia. No. 21 has belonged to Phillies backup catcher Garrett Stubbs since 2022.

The Phillies have acquired OF Austin Hays from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for RHP Seranthony Domínguez and OF Cristian Pache. Hays will wear No. 9.

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 26, 2024

Hays is batting .255 with three home runs, 13 doubles, 14 RBI, a .711 OPS and a 0.2 WAR this season, having appeared in 63 of the Orioles' 102 games. He was on the injured list with a left calf strain from April 22 to May 13.

The 29-year-old had been a mainstay in Baltimore over the past few seasons, ranking fourth on the team with 516 games played since 2020. He even made his first All-Star appearance in 2023.

In 557 games with the Orioles, Hays was a .262 hitter with a .747 OPS and 9.4 WAR. From 2021 to 2023, he averaged 18 home runs, 66 RBI and a 2.7 WAR each season.

Hays' time in Baltimore was winding down, though, as he made just two starts for the Orioles in their first six games coming out of the All-Star break. He only had one year of team control remaining, and he had already been largely boxed out of the lineup by rookies Heston Kjerstad and Colton Cowser.

Philadelphia recently released utility man Whit Merrifield and outfielder David Dahl, in addition to shipping off Pache in this trade. Hays will be able to step in and eat up all of their vacant innings in the outfield alongside Brandon Marsh, Nick Castellanos and Johan Rojas.

As for what the Phillies gave up to get Hays, Domínguez has proven to be a workhorse reliever ever since he broke into the big leagues in 2018.

The righty appeared in 80 games for Philadelphia between 2018 and 2019, then made just one appearance between 2020 and 2021 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Domínguez returned to appear in 54 games in 2022 and 57 in 2023, plus the 15 playoff appearances he has made over the last two years.

Domínguez is 3-2 with a 4.75 ERA, 1.222 WHIP, 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings and a -0.2 WAR in 2024, all of which are worse than his career averages entering the season.

Including the postseason, the 29-year-old is 21-17 with a 3.38 ERA, 1.179 WHIP and 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings in his career.

Pache, meanwhile, is a journeyman center fielder who has suited up for the Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics and Phillies over the last four seasons. He hit .202 with a .557 OPS and 0.0 WAR in 50 games with the Phillies this year.

The Phillies own the best record in baseball at 64-38, while the Orioles are tied for the second-best record at 61-41. Perhaps the two sides will meet in the World Series this fall, giving Hays and Domínguez a chance to face their former teams on the biggest stage in the sport.

This marks just the latest notable deal to get done with the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline fast approaching. The Tampa Bay Rays already traded All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners late Thursday night, while the Los Angeles Dodgers traded veteran starting pitcher James Paxton to the Boston Red Sox earlier on Friday.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our FanNation on SI coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also follow Sam Connon on Twitter @SamConnon.