The Padres are still in need of several bats to shore up their lineup. Austin Hays is a capable outfielder who would come at a cheap price.

Still, without a reunion with fan-favorite Jurickson Profar, the Padres have a gaping hole in left field and in the lineup. They need several more bats and, especially, ones who can play a serviceable outfield.

While re-signing Profar is still technically possible, it still doesn’t appear likely, given the bargain he gave the Padres last year and what he deserves this time around. The Padres likely need to search elsewhere for solutions in left field.

As of now, FanGraphs projects Tirso Ornelas or Brandon Lockridge to man left field. Neither option inspires a ton of confidence that the Padres can field a playoff-level lineup.

While Austin Hays is not an All-Star, he is a capable, league-average bat with plenty of MLB experience. He has logged 395 career games in left field over seven seasons. Last year, he began with the Orioles. He ended up being part of a pre-trade deadline deal with the Phillies. He spent the remainder of the season in Philly, including their playoff run.

Between the two clubs and 85 games, he batted .255 with a .699 OPS and 101 OPS+. While his defensive metrics in left field are slightly below average, his arm strength comes in the 86th percentile.

While the Florida native isn’t a player that will push the Padres over the top as a World Series contender, he certainly could fill in nicely where the Padres have virtually no MLB-quality options. Over seven seasons, he is a career .261 hitter with a respectable .745 OPS and 107 OPS+. Between 2021 and 2023 in Baltimore, he averaged 18 home runs per season with a 109 OPS+. That would be serviceable for the Padres in left field, where there is a gaping hole.

Lockridge only has 12 games of MLB experience, while Tirso Ornelas is yet to make his major league debut and is now almost 25 years old. Certainly, Hays would be an upgrade over those options in left.

Hays is a league-average, right-handed bat with a strong arm in the outfield. Last season, he crushed left-handed pitching to the tune of a .941 OPS. If nothing else, Hays could platoon as a hitter to mash against lefties if the Padres acquired more help.

Regardless, the Padres need to make several acquisitions over the next few months if they are going to have a playoff-worthy lineup. While Hays is not a perennial all-world player, he would at least raise the floor of the bottom part of San Diego’s lineup. Last year, he earned $6.3 million. The Padres could offer him a one-year deal for less than $9 million and likely get an MLB-average bat to shore up the back end of their lineup.

Nick Lee

Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.