We got our outfielder! The Cincinnati Reds have signed free agent OF Austin Hays to a 1 year 5 million dollar contract. The Reds have needed an outfielder since the offseason began and they finally get their guy in Austin Hays.
What Austin Hays brings to the Reds
Austin Hays is a 29 year old OF that has previously played for the Orioles and Phillies. Hays, who was an all star in 2023 for the Orioles, brings a nice bat to a Reds team that desperately needed an outfielder and can also play in one of the corner OF spots. Hays did not play much last year due to injuries, one of those being a kidney infection which sidelined him for quite some time. However, when healthy, Hays can be a very sold ballplayer. In his career Hays has slashed .254/.304/.415 against RHP over 1,502 PA and has slashed .277/.331/.469 against LHP in 702 PA. Hays can be that spark the Reds have needed against LHP for quite some time, which seems to be an area of struggle for the team.

Austin Hays’ Defensive Skillset
While most people will notice Hays for his offensive production, his defense is not something you should sleep on. Hays has an amazing arm that certainly will be the best arm in the Reds outfield heading into the 2025 season. Hays also has been a solid fielder with a defensive runs saved stat line of: +4 in 2021, +5 in 2022, +6 in 2023, though he did have a rough season last year with a -8 in 2024. However, if healthy, I believe that we could see Hays return to the fielder he was in previous years.
Low Risk, High Reward
Signing Hays to a 1 year 5 million dollar contract is a low risk high reward situation. If Hays does not return to All Star form you are only out on 5 million dollars which is not a lot. However, if Hays does return to form you got an absolute steal for 5 million dollars. I do believe the Reds should still keep their eyes on the market with a guy like Randal Grichuk available. However, I could see the Reds being done with offseason deals with Spring Training only being a few weeks away. Especially having added guys like Trevino, Lux, and Singer. Overall, I feel this is a good move that could help propel them to that NL Central Division win that we are all hoping for!