Philadelphia Phillies Reliever Traded at Deadline Predicted To Return to Current Team

The Philadelphia Phillies reliever could bring value to the Baltimore Orioles if they pick up his option.

Sep 27, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Seranthony Dominguez (56) closes out the game in the ninth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. / Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies trade deadline didn't go as planned. Despite how impressive their offseason moves have been over the past couple of winters, their trade deadline acquisitions haven't exactly been home runs. 

Free agency and the offseason allow teams to improve their rosters more than in the middle of the campaign. Unfortunately, for a contending team like the Phillies, that means they need to do most of their work during the winter months. 

During the trade deadline a few months ago, Philadelphia moved a few pieces and acquired a couple of guys along the way. One of the players they traded was Seranthony Dominguez. 

The right-handed reliever threw the baseball at a high level for parts of his career with the Phillies, but he dealt with a few injuries in recent seasons that have quieted his production. 

In 32 appearances for Philadelphia during the year, he posted a 4.28 FIP, 4.75 ERA, and struck out 40 hitters in 36.0 innings pitched. 

It wasn't good enough for the club to keep him around, as they sent him to the Baltimore Orioles in a deal for Austin Hays.

Dominguez has an $8 million option in the winter, but the Orioles could exercise it and bring him back.

Tim Kelley of Bleacher Report predicted that Baltimore would do just that with the former Phillies reliever.

"The Orioles acquired Seranthony Domínguez in a deal with the Phillies prior to the trade deadline, sending outfielder Austin Hays to Philadelphia. Both players had run their courses with their respective teams, so it made sense as a swap. Hays—largely thanks to a kidney infection—wasn't able to make much of an impact for the Phillies. Domínguez probably wasn't a big enough addition for general manager Mike Elias at the deadline for a needy bullpen, and his 3.97 ERA over 25 games doesn't stand out. However, he was 10-for-11 in save opportunities and would be a strong set-up option for star closer Félix Bautista, who will be returning after missing all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery."

As he touched on, the Orioles' bringing him back makes sense. He wasn't elite by any means during his short stint with the team, posting a 5.33 ERA, but his career ERA of 3.59 should outweigh some of the negatives throughout the past year.

Looking back on the deal, while Hays didn't work out, it was the right idea from Philadelphia.

Unfortunately, trades don't always go in their favor, which was the case with this one.