Trade deadline season is underway, and the Baltimore Orioles have made their first official trade.
According to multiple industry sources, former All-Star outfielder Austin Hays is heading to the Philidelphia Phillies in exchange for right-handed reliever Seranthony Domínguez and outfielder Cristian Pache.
Hays started off the 2024 season slowly but recently has gotten hot at the plate, especially after having an extremely hot month of June. Hays, in 63 games, is slashing .255/.316/.395 with a .711 OPS and has collected 40 hits, 13 doubles, three home runs and has knocked in 14 RBIs.
In his seven years with the Orioles, Hays has posted a slash line of .262/.314/.433 with an OPS of .747. The 29-year-old has 510 total hits, 66 home runs and 242 RBIs for his career.
The Phillies have needed a defensive-first outfielder, especially with the change of moving Bryce Harper to first base, and they found exactly who they were looking for in Hays.
As for who the Orioles received, the bullpen just got a little stronger. Seranthony Domínguez is technically having a down year with a 4.75 ERA in 38 games, but he’s a guy who pitches well to contact. The 29-year-old has only walked 12 this season, has struck out 40 and has held batters to a .224 average in 36 innings of work.
In his six seasons in the City of Brotherly Love, the Dominican native has posted a career ERA of 3.55 in 220.2 innings pitched, with 253 strikeouts to just 90 walks. He’s also collected 28 saves and has an $8 million club option for 2025 in his contract but could become a free agent at the end of the season.
The most eye-catching thing about Domínguez is his postseason numbers, as he has a 1.13 ERA with 25 strikeouts in 15 games in October.
A fun fact is that Koby Perez, the Orioles’ director of international scouting, helped sign Domínguez when Perez was a member of the Phillies’ Latin American scouting staff.
The Orioles also received former top 100 prospect, outfielder Cristian Pache, who is most likely a throw-in piece. In 50 games, Pache is slashing .202/.288/.269 with a .557 OPS. He has 21 hits on the season, five doubles, a triple, and nine RBIs.
Pache is also a defensive-first outfielder, which could help out in left field with Waltimore.
We still have time for more trades, as the deadline isn’t until Tuesday, July 30. Is this the start of a big deadline for the Orioles? Only time will tell.
We do want to thank Austin Hays for his time in Baltimore. He was obviously a fan favorite here since being drafted in 2016, and we wish nothing but the best for him.
We also want to welcome Dominguez and Pache to Birdland!
What do you think of this trade? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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