Red Sox Urged To Add $6 Million Ex-Phillies All-Star To Replace Tyler O'Neill

Did the Phils open a door for the Sox?

Sep 27, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Austin Hays (9) celebrates with designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) after hitting a home run against the Washington Nationals during the eighth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images / James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox are making waves in the free-agent waters, but there's still one major offensive need they don't seem to be prioritizing yet.

It's no secret the Red Sox are short on right-handed bats, but the main bat they are chasing, and understandably so, is lefty outfielder Juan Soto, otherwise known as the best free-agent available by a wide margin.

If they get Soto, the need for righties still diminishes, because Soto is so good against lefties that he doesn't limit the team at all in a platoon capacity. But if not, it definitely makes sense to add a righty-hitting outfielder, assuming Tyler O'Neill walks in free agency.

Perhaps the Philadelphia Phillies opened a pathway for the Red Sox to sign that righty.

The Phillies non-tendered outfielder Austin Hays on Friday, after acquiring him to be an everyday playoff starter at the 2024 trade deadline from the Baltimore Orioles. Tim Crowley of NESN urged the Red Sox to consider signing Hays, saying he could be "Tyler O'Neill 2.0."

"Hays fits an athletic, right-handed profile that would benefit the Red Sox," Crowley said. "The move would be similar to when the Red Sox traded for Tyler O’Neill from the St. Louis Cardinals where a change of scenery could bring out the best in the player."

"Hays, in his current state, is likely more durable defensively than O’Neill. He could also find some more power by playing half of his games at Fenway Park with the Green Monster to aim at. Hays hit 22 home runs in 2021 during the first of three straight seasons playing 130 or more games."

Hays is still only 29 years old, and barely a year removed from being named a first-time All-Star with the Orioles in 2023. He had three consecutive seasons between 2.4 and 3.2 bWAR from 2021 to 2023 before surprisingly dropping to -0.1 bWAR in 2024.

There's no guaranteeing Hays can find the form he showed at his best as an Oriole. But moving to Boston and playing at Fenway would be steps in the right direction. The question, at this point, is whether the Red Sox have bigger fish to fry.

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