How important is it to get Austin Hayes and what it means for the rest of Philadelphia’s linebackers – NBC Sports Philadelphia

Ultimately, Dave Dombrowski said, it comes down to rebalancing the leather and wood on the outfield.

“We felt very comfortable having a defensive player in center field, either (Johan) Rojas or (Christian) Bache,” Philadelphia’s president of baseball operations said in the Citizens Bank press booth hours after Friday’s announcement that Bache and pitcher Serathoni Dominguez had been traded to the Orioles for right fielder Austin Hayes.

“But (Brandon) Marsh never hit left-handed. So all of a sudden we were playing two defensive players against a left-handed player, in left field and in center field. And you can do with that sometimes. But I think if you’re trying to do some extra stuff, having a guy who can hit left-handed and hit well in a big series can be really important.”

Make no mistake. Philadelphia has the best record in baseball. So putting in a little extra effort, in that context, is a modest way of saying that winning or losing the World Series is possible. This deal is designed not only to improve the team’s chances in October, but also to increase the odds of maintaining home-field advantage throughout its time there.

Dombrowski also made it clear that he still hopes to add more to the relief pool before the trading clock metaphorically strikes midnight at 6 p.m. Tuesday. “We still have a little bit of depth in the relief pool … (but) people continue to ask and we will continue to look to get (help) in the relief pool,” he said.

Manager Rob Thompson insisted all season that he believed Marsh had the potential to be a starter. But the sad truth is that he only got a limited opportunity (50 at-bats) to show what he could do against left-handers and hit just .140 in those tests.

In 72 games against lefties this season, Hayes has hit for a .328 batting average with an .894 OPS. Over his career, he has hit for a .272 batting average against lefties with an OPS of .791.

With August approaching and a series of games against teams with straight winning records, the focus has necessarily shifted from trying different combinations to putting the pieces in place to give them the best chance at a postseason run.

Hayes started in the MLS All-Star Game last year, but became available after missing playing time this season to 24-year-old Colton Kosier. Dombrowski said this was the third year in a row he had made an offer to Hayes at the deadline, but the asking price at the time was too high.

He arrived in time for Friday night’s game against the Guardians, but did not play. He is expected to make his debut for Philadelphia on Saturday. He could become a free agent after next season.

He arrived in time for Friday night’s game against the Guardians, but did not start against Cleveland right fielder Ben Lively. He could become a free agent after next season.

Thompson was unwilling to discuss his plans to use his new recruit on the outside line until he had a chance to talk to all 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,” the manager said. “I don’t see him as a starter. This guy was a star last season. I want to see what we have here.”

“He’ll be in the starting lineup, but we think Hayes can hit left-handed and right-handed. He’s done that in the past. He’s got very good ability. But we don’t think he should be playing in the minors by any means,” Dombrowski added.

The implication was that Marsh and Rojas could end up sharing time at center. Asked to compare the two defensively, Thompson deadpanned, “It all depends on how Austin shoots.”

Hayes was surprised to find himself traded from the only organization he’s ever been with, but he’s looking forward to the chance to play regularly again.

“I’m going to do whatever is asked of me and I’m going to be ready when my name comes up on the starting lineup,” he said. “It’s always tough any time you’re in a starting role and all of a sudden you’re in a slightly different role. I was in a platoon situation and I played some defense late. You always want to be the regular guy as a player.

“I feel very confident against right-handed players. I had a bit of a nervous start to the year, especially against right-handed players. But I feel a lot better about where I am and the adjustments I’ve made. So I’m looking forward to getting some at-bats against right-handed players.

“I’m so excited to be here.”

Marsh had no comment ahead of Friday’s game, but he may be the player most affected by the deal. But Dombrowski and Thompson said they’re not done yet.

“I’m not sure why he’s struggled so much against left-handed pitching this year,” the executive said. “He made some progress last year. I’m a little surprised, actually. We still think he’s going to do it. But he hasn’t done it this year. We still think he has a chance to be an everyday player. I’ve seen that happen to a lot of guys. He’s not the first. He’s not where we thought he would be at this point this year.”

“It’s still a work in progress. I still see some good shots. I think he’ll get to the level he needs at some point, that’s true,” the coach said.

Dominguez, who has done well for Philadelphia in the past, is averaging 4.75 points this season. “This year has been a little bit up and down,” Thompson said. “I’ve always said that as long as he’s hitting the ball hard through the box, he’s going to be able to take guys out. I think he’s going to do that again. When he does that, he’s going to be able to take guys out.”

Dominguez’s departure doesn’t affect what Philadelphia hopes to achieve. Before Friday night, he was averaging 6.38 points in his last 22 games. Even without center Garrett Stubbs, who had five points in a crushing loss to Oakland on July 14, he was averaging 5.83 points.

“I can’t say it changes (what we want to do) significantly,” Dombrowski said. “We were already looking at the relief bullpen. That’s something we’re going to continue to pursue. We still like our guys there a lot. We still feel good about our bullpen guys. But, again, you can get better. That’s one area where I always felt like you didn’t have enough relief bullpen arms, especially if you got into a shorter series at some point.”

He added that he is not targeting a closer player.

Right-handed pitcher Michael Rocker returned to the injured list ahead of tonight’s game. He began the season on the injured list with a pinched artery in his hand.

Dombrowski noted that with the rule change that rules out waiver trades after the deadline, all teams face a now-or-never choice in the next few days. “You can always go deeper,” he concluded. “But you can’t do much.”