The White Sox have signed outfielder Austin Hays to a one-year deal, according to multiple sources. The contract, worth $6 million, will be official following a physical examination. Hays will earn $5 million in salary in 2026, with a $1 million buyout on a mutual option for 2027. Another $375,000 is available in incentive bonuses based on plate appearances. The team's 40-man roster is full, so a corresponding transaction is expected before the signing is finalized. Hays is represented by the MAS+ Agency.
Hays, 30, was a priority for the White Sox due to his playing time. He has held his own defensively over 483 career MLB innings as a center fielder, though he hasn't played the position since 2023. With both glovework and health in mind, Hays is probably better suited for a corner outfield slot, and some designated hitter (DH) at-bats are also a consideration for a player who has taken six separate trips to the injured list over the last two seasons. Four of those six IL stints were due to left calf and hamstring strains, and Hays also missed a few weeks last season due to a left foot contusion.
The Reds signed Hays to a one-year, $5 million guarantee last year, which broke down as $4 million in salary and a $1 million buyout of a $12 million mutual option for the 2026 season. As with virtually all mutual options, Hays was cut loose following the 2025 campaign, though he had a respectable .266/.315/.453 slash line and 15 homers over 416 plate appearances for Cincinnati. On a team that struggled to generate consistent offense, Hays' 105 wRC+ was the third-highest of any Reds player who had at least 111 trips to the plate.
Since Opening Day 2021, Hays has a 106 wRC+ over 2348 PA, and he played in basically an everyday role with the Orioles from 2021-23. Despite the decent production, Hays has never walked much or made a lot of hard contact, and his strikeout rates have shot upwards over the last three seasons. Hays' viability for an everyday role will probably hinge on how much he can hit right-handed pitching, as his splits have made him look like most of a lefty-masher in recent years.
The Reds hung onto Hays last summer both because they needed him for their own playoff push and probably in part because his injuries hurt his trade market, but it certainly seems possible the Sox could shop Hays at the upcoming deadline. The focus remains on the future for the rebuilding White Sox, and plenty of teams would figure to have trade interest in a veteran bat who has a 160 wRC+ against left-handed pitching over the last two seasons.
The Hays signing is the latest intriguing move for a White Sox team that is planning to be more competitive in 2026, even if a full-fledged run at a playoff berth remains at least a year away. Trading Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets freed up $20 million in payroll space, and the Sox reinvested that money into a two-year, $20 million deal for Seranthony Dominguez to become Chicago’s next closer. Since Dominguez is only getting $8 million of that money in 2026, the White Sox have now been able to sign Hays and ostensibly still have $6 million more to spend from the $20 million hole Robert left in the team’s budget. A pitching addition may be more likely than another position-player add given Chicago’s needs in the rotation and bullpen.
