The Phillies have non-tendered outfielder Austin Hays ahead of Friday night’s 8 p.m. deadline, per Jon Heyman.

Austin Hays will now hit free agency after a failed post-deadline stint. It was an unfortunate break for the Phillies, who expected more out of the 29-year-old former All-Star. Hays dealt with a hamstring issue to start, which found him on the Injured List on August 9th. Doctors and trainers then discovered Hays had a kidney infection on September 5th, which kept him out longer.

The issue with this deadline move was never the player itself, it was the fact that Hays was your best bat acquired in a year that you could’ve easily gone all in.

Granted, this year’s MLB trade deadline was very seller-friendly, and not many elite, tide-turning bats were on the market.

Hays slashed .256/.275/.397 in 80 plate appearances with the Phillies. He logged 20 hits, 5 doubles, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, and 19 strikeouts. He didn’t draw a single walk in his time in Philadelphia.


The Phillies will have to make a decision on 7 more players before the deadline:

  • Ranger Suarez
  • Alec Bohm
  • Bryson Stott
  • Edmundo Sosa
  • Brandon Marsh
  • Jose Ruiz
  • Garrett Stubbs

I expect six of those guys to be tendered a contract, and possibly all seven. Garrett Stubbs would be the outlier here, but I think their best option is tendering him a small contract, and bringing him back to camp knowing he still has one minor league option remaining.