**Phillies Trade Seranthony Domínguez and Cristian Pache for Former All-Star**
The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired outfielder Austin Hays from the Baltimore Orioles, trading right-handed pitcher Seranthony Domínguez and outfielder Cristian Pache in return.
Hays, previously wearing No. 21 in Baltimore, will switch to No. 9 in Philadelphia, as No. 21 is taken by Phillies’ backup catcher Garrett Stubbs. This season, Hays is batting .255 with three home runs, 13 doubles, 14 RBI, a .711 OPS, and a 0.2 WAR, playing in 63 of the Orioles’ 102 games. He was sidelined from April 22 to May 13 with a left calf strain.
The 29-year-old has been a consistent player for Baltimore, ranking fourth on the team with 516 games since 2020 and making his first All-Star appearance in 2023. Over 557 games with the Orioles, Hays posted a .262 batting average, .747 OPS, and 9.4 WAR. From 2021 to 2023, he averaged 18 home runs, 66 RBI, and a 2.7 WAR per season.
However, Hays’ role in Baltimore was diminishing, with just two starts in the first six games after the All-Star break. With one year of team control left, he was being overshadowed by rookies Heston Kjerstad and Colton Cowser.
The Phillies recently released utility man Whit Merrifield and outfielder David Dahl, alongside trading Pache, creating space for Hays to join Brandon Marsh, Nick Castellanos, and Johan Rojas in the outfield.
Domínguez, who Philadelphia traded, has been a reliable reliever since debuting in 2018. He appeared in 80 games from 2018 to 2019, missed significant time due to Tommy John surgery, then returned to play in 54 games in 2022 and 57 in 2023, including 15 playoff appearances. In 2024, Domínguez has a 4.75 ERA, 1.222 WHIP, 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings, and a -0.2 WAR, below his career averages.
Pache, a journeyman center fielder, has played for the Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics, and Phillies over the past four seasons. This year, he hit .202 with a .557 OPS and 0.0 WAR in 50 games with the Phillies.
The Phillies, with the best record in baseball at 64-38, and the Orioles, tied for the second-best at 61-41, might meet in the World Series, giving Hays and Domínguez a chance to face their former teams.
This trade is one of several significant moves as the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline approaches, including the Tampa Bay Rays trading All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Dodgers trading veteran pitcher James Paxton to the Boston Red Sox.
