First baseman Rhys Hoskins and the Guardians are finalizing a minor league deal, in response to Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Hoskins, a Boras Company consumer, will obtain a $1.5MM wage if he makes Cleveland’s MLB roster. The information of Hoskins’ cope with the Guardians comes after stories (together with one from Meisel) earlier within the day indicated the veteran’s presence within the workforce’s Arizona clubhouse.
Hoskins, 33 subsequent month, spent six seasons in Philadelphia as one of many extra reliably above-average nook bats within the recreation. He managed to make up for low batting averages by constantly flashing 30-homer pop and conserving his stroll charge above 10%. After a 2022 marketing campaign the place he slashed .246/.332/.462 with 30 homers in 156 video games, Hoskins figured to be a key determine within the Phillies’ lineup headed into 2023 when these plans had been abruptly scuttled by an ACL tear that worn out his complete season.
That misplaced season led Hoskins to achieve free company as one thing of an unknown amount, however he finally discovered a two-year cope with the Brewers that afforded him the chance to choose out after the 2024 season. The veteran appeared in 131 video games for Milwaukee throughout that first season however didn’t hit at his typical ranges, with a slash line of simply .214/.303/.419 and a wRC+ of 101. Whereas he was nonetheless good for 26 residence runs, a career-high 28.8% strikeout charge sapped a lot of the worth Hoskins had provided throughout his days in Philadelphia.
That down season was sufficient to persuade Hoskins to stay in Milwaukee for 2025, however he was restricted to only 90 video games this previous season as a consequence of a sprained thumb. The excellent news is that when he was on the sphere, his manufacturing ticked again as much as be extra considerably above league common. In 328 journeys to the plate final yr, Hoskins slashed .237/.332/.416 with a wRC+ of 109. Whereas Hoskins’s energy numbers had been the weakest of his profession, his strikeout charge ticked all the way down to 27.7% whereas his stroll charge crept as much as 11.6%, his highest stage since 2020.
A second injury-plagued season prior to now three years was dangerous information for Hoskins’s market worth, nonetheless, and he’s scarcely been mentioned within the rumor mill since returning to free company again in November. With Spring Coaching now underway, Hoskins opted to catch on with the Guardians on a minor league pact. The veteran is a powerful match for Cleveland’s wants, and signing with them ought to give him each alternative to crack the membership’s Opening Day roster.
Each first baseman Kyle Manzardo and anticipated designated hitter C.J. Kayfus are left-handed hitters, so a right-handed first base/DH possibility like Hoskins is a powerful on-paper match. Whereas Hoskins truly had reverse splits final yr, he’s a profession 137 wRC+ hitter in opposition to southpaws, and even final yr’s 102 wRC+ could be a considerable enchancment over the numbers Mazardo (83) and Kayfus (67) posted in opposition to lefties final yr.
Whereas Hoskins at present appears to be like prone to be ticketed for a platoon position on paper, it’s under no circumstances troublesome to think about him working his manner into incomes on a regular basis reps. Kayfus is a rookie who posted a wRC+ of simply 96 in 44 video games final yr, in spite of everything, and Hoskins is a succesful hitter in opposition to righties each final season (111 wRC+) and his profession (115). With Cleveland, the veteran ought to have a powerful alternative to place collectively a rebound season after his struggles to remain on the sphere and produce constantly over a full season which have cropped up over the previous few years. If he can rediscover a few of the kind that made him a middle-of-the-order bat for the Phillies a number of years in the past, it’s not too troublesome to think about Hoskins changing into an instrumental a part of the Guardians’ lineup alongside stars Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan.
