Adding this former All-Star outfielder would be an obvious win for the Guardians

The Thanksgiving season is about a lot of things. Time with family. Good food. Football. And, perhaps most important, Black Friday deals. 

As such, The Athletic’s Andy McCullough put together a story highlighting a “Back Friday deal” for every MLB team in free agency. 

When it came to the Guardians, the team had former Reds outfielder Austin Hays as their Black Friday deal, which honestly makes a ton of sense given that he’ll be in the Guardians’ price range and would fill an obvious hole on the roster. 

Austin Hays makes perfect sense as a budget signing for the Guardians 

After spending the 2024 season with the Orioles and Phillies, Hays signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Reds for 2025 and ended up posting a .266/.315/.453 slashline with 15 home runs and 64 RBI in 103 games. He became a free agent after the Reds declined to pick up his $12 team option. 

While he saw more action against right-handed pitching, he killed lefties to the tune of  a .319./.400/.539 slashline, which makes him an obvious fit in Cleveland, as McCullough pointed out. 

“Cleveland rarely dips its toes deep into the free-agent pool, so we’re just following breadcrumbs here. A right-handed-hitting outfielder such as Hays would aid a team that features left-handed-hitting outfielders in Steven Kwan, George Valera and Chase DeLauter. Hays plays solid defense in the corners and mauled lefties in 2025,” he wrote.

Everything McCullough wrote there is pretty much spot on. While Cleveland’s outfield should be better in 2026 thanks to Valera and DeLauter, both of them being left-handed does hamper Stephen Vogt when it comes to getting the best matchup against left-handed pitching. 

Although both of them should get plenty of opportunities to hit against same-same pitching, Hays is a great insurance policy. 

It’s worth noting that Hays hasn’t recorded double-digit appearances in right field since 2022, so his coming to Cleveland would be contingent on him being comfortable shifting over to right full time (so long as Steven Kwan isn’t traded). 

The Guardians complicated their outfield picture by bringing Nolan Jones back on a $2 million deal, but that shouldn’t stop them from trying to turn over every rock in free agency to try to make the unit better. 

While Hays may not reach the same heights he had early in his career with the Orioles when he hit .261 with 54 home runs from 2021 to ‘23, he’d be a solid fourth outfielder who could start against left-handed pitching and serve as a valuable bench bat late in games. 

Hays may not be Kyle Schwarber, but adding him would be the perfect kind of floor-raising move the Guardians need to make to compete in 2026.