Outfielder Austin Hays has agreed to a one-year, $5 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds, as reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal includes an additional $1 million in performance-based bonuses.
Hays split the 2024 season between the Baltimore Orioles and the Philadelphia Phillies, with the Orioles trading him to the Phillies on July 26, just before the trade deadline. Throughout the season, Hays was sidelined with injuries on three occasions—once with the Orioles and twice with the Phillies. In September, he battled a kidney infection but managed to return by the end of the regular season.
He also appeared in the Phillies’ postseason, sharing left field duties with Brandon Marsh. Hays, who will turn 29 in 2025, became a free agent after the Phillies non-tendered him in November.
Reds Reach Deal with Austin Hays
In 2024, Austin Hays posted a .255/.303/.396 slash line, with five home runs and 20 RBIs across 85 games. He recorded a 98 wRC+ and a .318 BABIP, along with a .303 wOBA and 26 runs scored. Hays had a 23.1% strikeout rate and a 3.5% walk rate. Defensively, he struggled in left field, finishing with -8 Defensive Runs Saved, -3 Outs Above Average, and a -4 Fielding Run-Value. Despite these challenges, Hays earned an All-Star selection in 2023. Over the course of his career, he has played all three outfield positions, though he has spent the majority of his time in left field, with occasional appearances in center and right.
Hays made his MLB debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2017, a year after being drafted. Although he has played in all three outfield spots, left field has been his primary position. For his career, he owns a .261 batting average and a .745 OPS. Hays is aiming to bounce back from a difficult 2024 season, which he split between the Orioles and the Phillies.
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