Austin Hays Signs with White Sox — What It Means for Outfield Market

Here is who's left.

Sep 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds left fielder Austin Hays (12) advances to third base on a single from Cincinnati Reds first baseman Spencer Steer (7) (not pictured) during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game one of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The outfield market has shifted as of Saturday morning. Veteran slugger Austin Hays had a lot of interest around the league, but he ultimately joined the Chicago White Sox, signing a one-year, $6 million contract with incentives, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

A lot of the top names have already signed, so there might not be many great options left to fill holes in the outfield for teams looking for help.

However, here is a quick deep dive into what the market looks like with Hays now off the board and where teams looking for help can turn as spring training approaches.

Who's still available?

Sep 8, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds left fielder Austin Hays (12) celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

Again, a lot of the top names have already signed. Kyle Tucker is off the board, as are Adolis Garcia, Lane Thomas, Harrison Bader and Cody Bellinger. But there are still some under-the-radar options.

Another player that teams have shown interest in is Miguel Andujar. He can play the corner outfield spots and also a few infield spots. He hit .318 with 10 home runs and an .822 OPS with the Athletics and Cincinnati Reds.

At this point, he is probably the best option still available, so his market may start to become more competitive as spring training draws closer. In terms of right-handed hitting outfielders, other options include Austin Slater, Hunter Renfroe, Randal Grichuk, Starling Marte, Chris Taylor, Mark Canha and Tommy Pham.

Sooner or later, some players may start signing minor league deals so they can compete for spots on Opening Day rosters and not have to sit on the free agent market for much longer. There are also several left-handed hitting outfielders who have yet to find a home.

Jesse Winker, Michael Conforto, Will Brennan, Jason Heyward and Mike Tauchman have yet to sign. All are solid veteran options who could start coming off the board soon as the offseason enters its latter stages. Max Kepler would be another option, but he received an 80-game suspension.

The next name to come off the board will likely be Andujar, as he is the best option still available, but once that happens, the market could start to pick up again as teams try to fill holes in their roster before spring training.

It will be interesting to see how things play out in the next couple of weeks leading up to the 2026 season.

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