Now is the time for the Guardians to strike for Austin Hays 

The Cleveland Guardians’ offseason has been many things. Quiet. Underwhelming. Full of relievers. 

But just because that’s how it is now doesn’t mean that’s how it needs to be when the story of their offseason is written. And the quickest way for them to do that is by signing Austin Hays to a contract. 

Although Hays is the caliber of outfielder that Kyle Tucker is, he’s a quality platoon bat who would fill an obvious need on a Guardians team desperate for any kind of production from its outfielders. 

Austin Hays is too good for a fit for the Guardians to pass up

While this isn’t the first time we’ve written about how Hays could help the Guardians, the way that he could help the team becomes more and more evident with every day that goes by. Not only did he hit .266 with 15 home runs in 106 games with the Reds last year, but he also bats from the right side of the plate. 

Even if an outfield of Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter and George Valera is going to be better than Cleveland’s atrocious outfield from last season, it’s a left-handed heavy group. Not only would Hays be a good bat to add to the lineup, but he’d also be a good chess piece for Stephen Vogt to play around as the Guardians look to build on their platoon-heavy approach from last season. 

Not only did Hays hit .319 against left-handed pitchers last year, but he also recorded a serviceable batting average of .249 against right-handed pitchers, so he could be an everyday player if needed. 

While the Guardians’ front office scooped up seemingly every free agent reliever available, their long offensive addition has been signing Stuart Fairchild to a minor league deal. 

The obvious bugaboo here (and likely the reason the Guardians haven’t brought in an external outfielder) is the presence of DeLauter and Valera. Both of them did well in their late-season cameos for the Guardians last year and should get a chance to make the team out of camp, and adding Hays into the fold would stand in the way of that. 

It may not be as frustrating of a situation like when Cleveland broke camp with the husks of Carlos González and Hanley Ramírez, but it’s a close second. 

Granted both DeLauter and Valera have had their MLB pathways impacted by injuries, but it’s clear that the Guardians’ decision to slow-play their development has handcuffed them in the present. 

Although Hays reached the same levels he touched in 2023 when he was an All-Star while with the Orioles, he’s an obvious fit for the current iteration of the Guardians.