MLB's best make deadline deal: Austin Hays to Phillies, Orioles get bullpen help

In a deal that spins off a pair of extra parts from two of baseball's best teams, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired outfielder Austin Hays from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for reliever Seranthony Domínguez and outfielder Cristian Pache. 

Hays, 29, was an All-Star in 2023 for the Orioles but saw his playing time diminish with the emergence of power-hitting rookie Colton Cowser. After hitting 16 homers with a .769 OPS in 2023, he's hit just three homers with a .711 OPS this year, while spending time on the injured list. 

Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski had indicated a need for a right-handed hitting outfielder, as the club had tried minor leaguer Weston Wilson and Pache in that role. Hays will share at-bats with lefty-swinging Brandon Marsh, and the club could play Hays in left and Marsh in center, displacing Johan Rojas, for a more offense-centric look. 

Domínguez, 29, has a 4.75 ERA and 1.22 WHIP this season, trickling down the Phillies bullpen depth chart with the emergence of All-Stars Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm. The trade is a virtual financial wash, as Domínguez is making $7.1 million this season and is eligible for free agency, while Hays is making $6.3 million and is eligible for arbitration one more time. 

Baltimore has had success gleaning top performance out of relievers it has acquired, with current bullpen arms Cionel Perez, Jacob Webb and Yennier Cano flourishing after moving into the organization. Domínguez has an excellent slider and averaged 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 2022, his best season after missing 2020 due to Tommy John surgery.

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Pache joins his fourth organization in as many years and is out of options, but could give the Orioles a speed and defense dimension off the bench, a void at the moment with Jorge Mateo on the injured list with a wrist injury.

The Phillies have the major leagues' best record at 64-38, while the AL East-leading Orioles share the AL's best mark - 61-41- with the Cleveland Guardians.