Baltimore Orioles Could Reunite With Free Agent All-Star Outfielder

Last week's non-tender decisions may allow the Baltimore Orioles to have a reunion with an All-Star free agent outfielder they traded last season.

Aug 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Austin Hays (9) celebrates after hitting a single against the Kansas City Royals in the third inning at Kauffman Stadium. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

A lot of attention to this point for the Baltimore Orioles in the offseason has been on the players hitting free agency.

Ace pitcher Corbin Burnes and All-Star right fielder Anthony Santander are both on the open market. They are expected to garner a lot of attention and retaining both of them could be difficult unless Baltimore is ready to spend some big money.

Losing either of them would create more voids on the roster that need to be addressed this winter. It would add to a list that already features pitching help, both in the rotation and out of the bullpen, and specific lineup needs.

The Orioles are loaded with young hitters and will be relying on some to produce in larger roles this season. But one thing they could use, even if Santander does return, is a right-handed hitting outfielder to balance things out.

It will be interesting to see how they go about filling that void and the level of aggression used. Will they look to make a splash, signing a player such as World Series champion Teoscar Hernandez away from the Los Angeles Dodgers?

He certainly fits the bill as a power-hitting, right-handed bat after launching a career-high 33 homers in 2024.

But, Roch Kubatko of MASN has another suggestion as to who could fill that role. A reunion with a familiar face is certainly possible in the writer’s opinion while answering a recent mailbag question.

He believes there is a chance that Austin Hays could be back. Even though Hays' 2024 season was a waste, he writes that it was mostly due to a kidney infection that wasn't diagnosed properly until September once he was in Philadelphia. Physically, nothing was working for the former All-Star.

“He's recovered now and an intriguing figure on the free-agent market, a year removed from the All-Star Game and being a Gold Glove finalist," he wrote. "Power, speed, glove. He'll garner plenty of interest.”

Ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline, the talented outfielder was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for Seranthony Dominguez and Cristian Pache. He wasn’t as productive as the team hoped, likely due to the health issue that was unknown.

As a result, the Phillies non-tendered him, making him a free agent. Heading back to Baltimore would be a great decision for him.

Hays would fill an immediate need and both parties know what to expect from the other. From 2021-2023, when healthy, he was incredibly productive with a WAR of at least 2.4 each campaign.

He is a solid player who would provide the team with insurance in the outfield, fill arguably their current biggest void and not break the bank.