Surprising News: Rhys Hoskins to sign with the Phillies’ tough division Competitor.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/YNAZ2URAFBFWBOBCGPDQYCAS6A.jpg)
As he recovers from an injury, the Washington Nationals could provide Hoskins with the ideal opportunity to put himself up for a huge payout.
Fans of the Philadelphia Phillies who want to see more of fan favorite Rhys Hoskins may get their wish — just not in the way they expected.
Andy McCullough and The Athletic went through and named a free agent for each MLB team to sign in their annual Black Friday edition of free-agent shopping. They matched Hoskins with the Washington Nationals in the exercise.
McCullough went on to say that the “Nationals are well-positioned to offer Hoskins a pillow contract to springboard him back into the market if he can demonstrate good health and renewed success in 2024.”
He also mentioned that the 30-year-old might provide stability and experience to the youthful team. The average age of the team’s batters in 2023 was 26.8 years old, tying them for third-youngest behind only the Kansas City Royals and the Cleveland Guardians.
Before tearing his ACL in spring training and missing all of 2023, the power hitter was gearing up for a big contract year heading into free agency. Instead, he might be relegated to finding a one-year, prove-it deal.
In six years with the Phillies, Hoskins slashed .242/.353/.492 with 148 home runs and 405 RBI in 667 games. He struck out 689 times, walked 388 times, and had an OPS+ of 125.
In 2022, the first baseman hit .246 with 30 home runs and 79 RBI in 156 games.
After Aaron Nola, Hoskins was the Phillies’ second-longest-tenured player. When the team made the playoffs in 2022 for the first time since 2011, the infielder was emotional to be playing postseason baseball for the first time in his career:
While Hoskins struggled throughout the postseason, slashing.159/.206/.435 with six home runs, 12 RBI, and 24 strikeouts in 17 games, his bat came alive in Games 4 and 5 of the NLCS and Games 1-3 of the World Series. Across 21 plate appearances, he hit.316/.381/.947 with an OPS of 1.328, four home runs, and seven RBI during that five-game stretch.
However, it was a home run in Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves that got everyone talking:
After the Phillies were bounced from the 2023 postseason by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS, Hoskins made it clear he wanted to stay in Philadelphia.
“We have a chance to win the World Series here every year with this group,” he told reporters. It’s just a simple organization to join.”
When the Phillies announced that Bryce Harper would remain at first base, it suggested that the team is ready to go forward without Hoskins.
With the prospective link to the Nationals, the Phillies could meet their former teammate 13 times in 2024 if the deal goes through and he joins a division foe.
The Nationals could use extra power in their lineup after finishing last in the NL East with a 71-91 record in 2023. Only one player hit more than 18 home runs last season: right fielder Lane Thomas, who rounded the bases 28 times.
They designated Dominic Smith, who had played 142 games at first base for the ballclub in 2023, for assignment early in the offseason. Joey Meneses (.275/.321/.401, 13 home runs, 89 RBI) is now on the depth chart at both first base and designated hitter. When Hoskins returns from ACL surgery, he’ll almost certainly need to platoon with someone at first base and as a designated hitter in order to work his way back up to becoming an everyday player.
According to Spotrac, the Nationals’ anticipated 2024 payroll is $93 million, providing them the ability to sign Hoskins.
The move could benefit both parties. Hoskins can serve a need for the organization while transitioning to a situation where he can split time between the field and as the DH as he seeks a more lucrative, long-term contract in the upcoming free agent round.
That means there’s a good chance Phillies fans will see Hoskins in a different red, white, and blue combination in 2024.
Leave a Reply