Reds sign former Orioles All-Star after second-half struggles with Phillies

It finally happened. For all those Cincinnati Reds fans who've been bemoaning the team's lack of action this offseason, you can all relax. The Reds finally found their outfielder. Cincinnati agreed to terms with former Baltimore Orioles All-Star Austin Hays on a one-year, $5 million contract according to The Athletics' Ken Rosenthal. According to C. Trent Rosecrans, the deal includes $1 million in incentives as well.

The Reds had drug their feet all offseason despite the obvious need for an extra bat in the outfield. Before the addition of Hays, Cincinnati was poised to head into Opening Day with the trio of Spencer Steer, TJ Friedl, and Jake Fraley. While all three players are still likely to play key roles with the club in 2025, adding Hays fills that major void of a right-handed hitting outfielder.

Reds sign former Orioles All-Star Austin Hays in free agency

Hays split last season between the Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies. After an All-Star campaign with the O's in 2023, Hays fell on tough times. In total, he appeared in just 85 games while hitting .255/.303/.396 with five home runs and 20 RBI.

Some of Hays' 2024 struggles could be tied to an infection he was dealing with last year. According to The Athletic (subscription required), test results indicated that Hays may have been dealing with this infection for a couple of months — perhaps as far back as his trade to the Phillies.

Hays will now have the opportunity to get back on the right track in what he hopes is a bounce-back season in Cincinnati. Prior to last season, Hays enjoyed quite the run in Baltimore with a .261/.313/.439 slash line from 2021-2023 and a 109 OPS+. Hays averaged 18 home runs per season during that stretch, and the big flies could certainly leave the yard in bunches with half his games slated to be played inside the hitter's paradise that is Great American Ball Park.

Hays has historically played left field during his career, but has experience in both right and center field as well. While Hays' career-splits aren't drastic, he does have an .800 OPS against lefties.

Hays isn't the everyday outfielder that many Reds fans were hoping for, but at the price, this deal could turn out to be quite the bargain for Nick Krall and the Cincinnati front office. That said, the Reds have gone down this road before with players like Tommy Pham and Wil Myers. Let's hope the Reds latest outfield addition enjoys a better outcome.

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