When the Phillies acquired outfielder Austin Hays from the Orioles for reliever Seranthony Dominguez back on July 26, they had the best record in baseball with 60 regular season games still to play.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski wasn’t taking anything for granted; he’s been around the game too long and had too much success not to know how quickly things can go south. At the same time, he was looking ahead. Ahead to a time when the air would cool and the leaves would turn and every series would have a win-or-go-home gravitas attached to it.
“I think if you’re trying to do a little bit extra, having a guy who can hit lefthanded pitching and hit it pretty well in a big series can be very important,” he said then.
Running that through Google Translate from baseballese to common vernacular, that statement comes out something like this:
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We really like Brandon Marsh, but I’ll be goldanged if I’m going to be caught short in the postseason because he’s had a devil of a time hitting lefthanded pitching this year. Hays should help us some for the next couple months. But October is when he really could come in handy. Because Mr. Middleton wants his trophy back and, come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind adding another World Series to my resume, either.
That time has arrived. The Phillies will play Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4:08 p.m.
Phillies fans of a certain age will recall a transaction with a similar rationale. Late in 2008, future Hall of Fame general manager Pat Gillick sensed a soft spot on his roster: there was no lefthanded bat with pop to come off the bench and face a tough righthanded pitcher. Waiver deals after the trade deadline were allowed then, so he picked up designated hitter Matt Stairs from the Blue Jays on August 30.
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On one level, it didn’t make sense. The National League didn’t even have a DH at the time. Sure enough, Stairs had only 19 plate appearances the remainder of the season.
But six weeks later, with the Dodgers seemingly poised to even the best-of-five National League Championship Series at two games each, Stairs capped an eight-inning comeback with a two-out, two-run, game-winning home run off closer Jonathan Broxton that soared into the Southern California night and landed right in Phillies lore.
After an off day, they clinched the pennant and went on to win the World Series for only the second time in franchise history.
When Hays, a 2023 American League All-Star, arrived at Citizens Bank Park, the expectation was that he would become the regular leftfielder. It didn’t exactly work out that way.
He went on the injured list on August 9 with a strained hamstring. After being activated, he went back on the IL on September 5 with a serious kidney infection. He recovered in time to start three games at the end of the year, but sat out the season finale with back soreness.
For the year, though, he batted .354 with a .941 OPS against lefthanded pitching. His potential importance may have faded from the general consciousness because he’s missed so much time, but he’s still very much on the team’s internal radar.
“Dependent upon who we play and who we face, he could be an extremely important part of our ballclub, which is what we were looking for at the trading deadline,” Dombrowski said earlier this week. “We thought if we got to (the postseason) we could use one more good righthanded bat. So I think he has a chance to really be valuable for us at this time of year.”
It remains to be determined what his role will be or even, technically, whether he’ll be part of the NLDS roster. The first hurdle, naturally, is his health.
“I got a scare there for a little while,” Hays said after Tuesday’s workout at Citizens Bank Park. “Whether I was going to be able to get rehab games in before the Triple-A season was over. Not knowing if I was going to be able to make it back before the end of the season.
“The fact that I was able to go through a full rehab stint and play some (big league) games and feel really good, I’m really excited for the playoffs. I feel good, mechanically speaking. My body feels strong. I’m ready to go.”
Nick Castellanos will start in right. That’s a given. Beyond that, manager Rob Thomson hasn’t announced how he plans to deploy his outfield between Brandon Marsh, Johan Rojas and presumably Hays.
During a 17-minute Zoom call with reporters after Wednesday’s simulated game – during which Hays went 2-for-4 with a double – Thomson strongly hinted he’ll be the regular leftfielder until further notice.
“I think he could potentially play every day, to tell the truth,” the manager said. “His bat speed is back. His strength is back. He said he felt really good running. That’s the first time in a few days he’s felt that. So if he’s swinging the bat the way we know he can, and I think his at bats against righthanded pitching the last couple times he’s had them have been better, he’s the guy.”
As the postseason started, the Phillies wanted to be prepared for every possible scenario. For Tanner Scott if they ended up facing the Padres. For Josh Hader if they happened to catch the Brewers or Danny Young if it was the Mets. For Alex Vesia with the Dodgers. For Danny Coulombe if they met the Orioles or Josh Hader if it was the Astros in the World Series. Every possibility has to be covered like the infield is covered by a tarp during rain delays.
It doesn’t always go according to the blueprint. If Hays starts, his turn may not come up against the other team’s best lefthanded reliever. If he doesn’t, though, you never know when a make-or-break matchup could occur. You never know who will get a chance to be a hero.
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