Former All Star's return to Camden Yards likely has Orioles questioning offseason decisions

When the Orioles traded oft-injured former All-Star Austin Hays to Philadelphia last season for reliever Seranthony Dominguez, fans assumed it was good-bye for good. But with the Orioles in the market for right-handed hitters and the Phillies letting go of Hays this winter, a reunion at least seemed possible, even after the Orioles signed slugger Tyler O'Neill to a three-year deal.

We will never know how close - if at all - the Orioles came to re-signing Hays, as the 29 year-old joined the Cincinnati Reds on a one year deal in January. After signing with the Reds, Hays told reporters that he thought the Reds were "right on the cusp of really turning the corner," and cited the Orioles as an example of an organization going from a 100-loss team to a playoff contender in the blink of an eye.

"I've been on a 100-loss team and a 100-win team. I've been in a bad place and been able to go to the playoffs two years in a row and I choose the winning team and the chance to go to the playoffs every time. I really see that in this franchise and this organization. I think they've made a lot of good moves this offseason to propel themselves to get into the playoffs this year."

Austin Hays

Instead of bringing back Hays, the Orioles signed Ramon Laureano to serve as their fourth outfielder, with the plan for his right-handed bat to platoon with lefties Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins, and Heston Kjerstad. But Laureano has struggled mightily so far, going 2-17 with one home run and 7 strikeouts. Hays, meanwhile, slugged two home runs for the Reds this week, including a three-run shot to center in his Reds debut.

Given the injury to Colton Cowser and Laureano's struggles, Austin Hays would look really good in an Orioles' uniform right now. His two homers in three games surpass Laureano's one in 17 at-bats. The question of Hays versus Laureano is on the forefront of Orioles' fans' minds, as Hays returns to Camden Yards for the first time as a visiting player this weekend as the Reds kick off a three-game interleague series in Baltimore.

Hays batted cleanup and played left field in Friday's opener, going 2-4 with a walk and a strikeout. Interestingly, Laureano was on the bench Friday night against left-hander Andrew Abbot, with lefty Heston Kjerstad starting in left field. So did the Orioles make a mistake in passing on Hays and signing Laureano to a similar, one-year deal?

The Orioles' decision to sign Ramon Laureano instead of Austin Hays this winter will be under the microscope this weekend

As with many questions this early in the season, the answer is it's too early to tell. Although Hays is off to a strong start in a tiny sample size, he constantly struggled with injuries in his six-plus seasons in Baltimore. He was also a notoriously streaky hitter, with Hays starting 2022 and 2023 (his lone All-Star year) red-hot only to tail off considerably in the second half both seasons. Hays got off to a slow start in 2024 before the Orioles traded him to Philadelphia, and he struggled with a kidney infection with the Phillies before being non-tendered.

For his part, Laureano had a solid 2024, hitting 11 home runs between the Guardians and Braves en route to an .832 OPS. Like Hays, Laureano started his playing career with a lot of promise before ultimately turning into a fourth outfielder/platoon player. To be fair, at the time the Orioles signed Laureano, he and Hays profiled as similar players with similar roles on their team.

Austin Hays should receive a warm welcome from Orioles fans this weekend in his return to Camden Yards. But while it's easy for fans to wish Hays was back in the orange and black (instead of Ramon Laureano), it is too early to chastise the Orioles for signing Laureano instead of Hays. However, if Laureano continues to struggle and Hays returns to his All-Star form, the Orioles may regret not trying harder for a reunion with their long-time fan favorite.