Austin Hays impressed early on before a second-half slump sunk his stats

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty ImagesAs the Orioles emerge from a lengthy rebuild, the roster decisions will only become more difficult. It started last season as the team decided to part with fan favorite Trey Mancini, and it will continue into the winter as Mike Elias looks towards “lift off,” which could have consequences for other familiar faces. Austin Hays certainly falls into that bucket of players at risk.

The former Top 100 prospect is now a 27-year-old veteran with two full major league seasons under his belt. He made his MLB debut back in 2017, when Buck Showalter was still managing the team. Hays became the first member of the 2016 draft class to play in the majors after…