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Phillies acquire outfielder Austin Hays, trade Seranthony Domínguez to Orioles

Seranthony Domínguez is heading to Baltimore in a trade for an outfielder. (Grace Del Pizzo/Phillies Nation)

With an outfield in need of some help, the Phillies swung their first trade of the hot-stove season to bolster their lineup with more time to keep adding ahead of this upcoming Tuesday’s trade deadline.

Outfielder Austin Hays is heading to Philadelphia in a deal with the Orioles, the Phillies announced Friday morning. While it didn’t take any minor-league prospects to acquire Hays, the Phillies surrendered two current big leaguers to find their new right-handed platoon bat. Reliever Seranthony Domínguez and outfielder Cristian Pache will head to the Orioles to complete the deal with the American League contender.

Once a prized phenom, Domínguez lit the National League on fire as a hard-throwing rookie after making his debut in 2018. He missed a majority of the next three seasons before reemerging as a trusted arm in the back of Rob Thomson’s bullpen during the Phillies’ run to the 2022 World Series. The right-hander had since fallen out of favor as he posted a 4.75 ERA this year in his final 38 appearances as a Phillie.

Pache, a defense-first center fielder who was acquired just after the season began last year, was serviceable at the plate against left-handed pitching in 2023, but took a step back this season. Hays will take a lot of the at-bats that Pache had been getting as the Phillies continue to mostly shield Brandon Marsh from lefties.

Hays was an All-Star in 2023, but found his role diminished on a talented Orioles team this year. He has a .711 OPS in 63 games this season, and he’s crushed left-handers. Hays is hitting. 328/.394/.500 with eight doubles and a home run in 72 plate appearances against lefties. He’s played 70 games in center field in his seven-year career, but has primarily played left field in 2024. He’ll likely split time at the position with Marsh for the duration of the season with Johan Rojas playing center, but perhaps Hays could man center field with someone like Weston Wilson — or, maybe less likely, another player acquired in a trade — in left if the Phillies decide to stack righties in certain matchups.

After trading Domínguez and Pache, the Phillies will still have their full list of trade candidates in the minor leagues to use in potential deals. There’s a hole in the bullpen with Domínguez’s departure, and the team could certainly use another impact reliever down the stretch.