Ultimately, Dave Dombrowski said, it was about rebalancing leather and wood in the outfield.
“We felt very comfortable having a defensive player in center field, either (Johan) Rojas or (Cristian) Pache,” the Phillies’ president of baseball operations said, standing in the Citizens Bank press box hours after it was announced Friday that Pache and reliever Seranthony Dominguez had been traded to the Orioles for right-handed outfielder Austin Hays, a 2023 All-Star.
“But (Brandon) Marsh has never hit a left-handed pitcher. So we had to play two defensive players against a left-hander, in left field and center field. And you can get away with that sometimes. But I think if you try to do a little bit more, having a guy who can hit left-handed pitching and hits pretty well in a big series can be very important.”
Make no mistake. The Phillies have the best record in baseball. So going the extra mile, in this context, is a low-key way of saying the World Series is up for grabs or not. And this deal is designed not only to improve the team’s chances in October, but also to increase the likelihood that it will retain home-field advantage once it gets there.
Dombrowski also made it clear he still hopes to add bullpen depth before the trade clock figuratively strikes midnight, which is literally 6 p.m. Tuesday. “We still have some depth in the bullpen … (but) people continue to ask and we’re always going to look to acquire help in the bullpen,” he said.
Manager Rob Thomson has insisted all season that he believes Marsh has the ability to be an everyday player. But the harsh reality is that he has had few opportunities (50 at-bats) to show what he can do against lefties and he has hit just .140 in those opportunities.
In 72 at-bats against lefties this season, Hays is hitting .328 with an OPS of .894. Over his career, he is hitting .272 against lefties with an OPS of .791.
With August and a series of playoffs against teams with winning records looming, the focus has necessarily been on putting the pieces in place to give them the best chance of making a deep playoff run rather than trying different combinations.
Hays started for the American League in last year’s All-Star Game but became available after losing playing time this season to 24-year-old Colton Cowser. Dombrowski said this was the third straight year he’s made an offer for Hays at the deadline, but the asking price at the time was prohibitive.
He arrived in time for Friday night’s game against the Guardians but did not play. He is expected to make his Phillies debut Saturday. He can become a free agent after next season.
He arrived in time for Friday night’s game against the Guardians but didn’t start against Cleveland right-hander Ben Lively. He can become a free agent after next season.
Thomson wouldn’t discuss how he plans to use his new outfielder until he’s had a chance to talk to all the parties involved. But he made it clear he doesn’t envision him as a part-time player. “I want to get a chance to see him play. I don’t see him as a platoon member,” the manager said. “The guy was an All-Star last season. I want to see what we have here.”
Dombrowski added: “(Thomson) will be in the lineup, but we think Hays can hit left-handed and right-handed. He’s done that in the past. He’s got really good ability. But we don’t think he should just be platooned, by any means.”
It follows that Marsh and Rojas could end up sharing playing time at center. When asked how the two compare defensively, Thomson deadpanned: “It all depends on how Austin hits.”
Hays was surprised to find himself traded by the only organization he had ever played for, but he hopes to get the opportunity to play regularly again.
“I’m just going to do whatever I’m asked to do and be ready when my name is on the roster,” he said. “It’s always tough to be a starter and then suddenly be in a little bit of a different role. I was in a platoon situation and I was playing defense late in the game. As a player, you always want to be the everyday guy.”
“I have a lot of confidence against right-handed pitchers. I had a little bit of a rough start to the season, especially against right-handers. But I feel really good about where I am right now and the adjustments I’ve made. So I’m looking forward to playing against right-handers.”
“I’m really happy to be here.”
Marsh declined to comment before Friday night’s game, but he could be the player most affected by the trade. But Dombrowski and Thomson were keen to stress that they haven’t given up hope of seeing him.
“I don’t really know why he’s had so much trouble against left-handed pitchers this year,” the executive said. “He made some progress last year. I’m a little surprised, actually. We still think he’s going to get there. But it’s not something he’s done this year. We still think he has a chance to be an everyday player. I’ve seen it happen to a lot of guys. He’s not the first one. It’s just not where we thought it would be at this point in the year.”
The manager said: “It’s still developing. I still see some drummers who are good. I think he’ll get there at some point, I really do.”
Dominguez, who has pitched well for the Phillies in the past, has a 4.75 ERA this season. “This year, it’s kind of hit and miss,” Thomson said. “I’ve always said as long as he’s driving the ball in the zone, he’s going to get people out. And I think he’ll do it again. And when he does, he’ll get people out.”
Dominguez’s move has no bearing on what the Phillies hope to accomplish. Coming into Friday night, the bullpen had a combined 6.38 ERA over the last 22 games. Even without the five runs allowed by catcher Garrett Stubbs in a blowout loss to Oakland on July 14, that figure is 5.83.
“I can’t say it drastically changes what we want to do,” Dombrowski said. “We were already looking at the bullpen. That’s something we’re going to continue to do. We still really like our guys on the field. We’re still happy with our guys in the bullpen. But, again, we can improve. That’s one area where I’ve always felt like you can never have enough arms in the bullpen, especially if you’re in a shorter series at some point.”
He added that he was not targeting a reliever.
Right-hander Michael Rucker was reinstated from the injured list before tonight’s game. He opened the season on the injured list with a narrowed artery in his hand.
Dombrowski noted that with the rule change that excludes waiver agreements after the deadline, all teams are facing a now-or-never situation over the next few days. “You can always go further. But there’s only so much you can do,” he said.