The Brewers and the free agent first baseman Rhys Hoskins He is completing a two-year, $34MM guarantee that allows him to opt out next summer, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan (X link). Milwaukee adds one of the major players left on the open market.
Hoskins will take on an enhanced cushion contract after missing the entire 2023 season. At the tail end of spring training, he tore the ACL in his left knee as he retreated to the outfield to pitch a grass chopper. While he was able to take batting practice late in the season, he never returned to the roster. Philadelphia has indicated that Hoskins may be activated from the injured list if they advance to the World Series.
With the Phils coming up short in the Fall Classic, an ACL tear proved to be a sad end to a productive tenure at Citizens Bank Park. Hoskins looked like a candidate to qualify for the offer early in the offseason. The Phils protested the QO by announcing that they were moving Brice Harper For the first time permanently. This made it clear that Hoskins had moved on after nearly a decade with the organization.
The Phillies originally selected him in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. Despite modest draft stock, he hit the ground running in pro ball. Heading up to the big leagues in the second half of 2017, he put up huge league numbers.
Good production on the farm has already put up strong numbers compared to MLB pitching. Hoskins hit a .259/.396/.618 clip with 18 home runs in his first 50 games. While he didn’t maintain that pace for a full season, he was a consistent middle-of-the-line presence in Philadelphia.
Hoskins hit between 27 and 34 home runs in his four full seasons from 2018-22. He was on pace for the short season, connecting on 10 long balls in 41 games. He has combined that with a walk rate of over 10% each year in his career. That power and tenacity give him a solid offensive floor, even if he hasn’t hit over .250 in any season since his rookie year.
Since 2018, Hoskins has posted a .241/.350/.483 batting line. He hits in roughly a quarter of his plate appearances. That’s slightly higher than the league average, but it’s outlandish, especially for a power hitter. Hoskins has hit left-handers at a .250/.399/.522 clip in his career. While his .240/.336/.482 slash isn’t quite as impressive with his same-handed hands, it remains solidly above average.
That offense takes its full profile. Hoskins doesn’t offer much as a baserunner. He has graded out as a slightly below-average defensive player throughout his career. Being in his 30s and working his way back from a knee injury, the defense isn’t expected to improve.
That’s good for brewers in need of an offensive upgrade. Milwaukee was ranked 17th last season, an underwhelming figure for a team that plays its home games at the cheater-friendly American Family Stadium. In the wRC+ metric that Park adjusts for, Milwaukee ranks 24th in total hit production. This was worse than any playoff team.
The first base was particularly problematic. Milwaukee conceded a miserable .231/.292/.389 batting average. That led Brooke’s crew to bid Rowdy Tellez. He got a Milwaukee veteran Carlos Santana To stabilize the first base for the extended run. The Brewers have remained in touch with Santana this summer, but instead jumped at the chance of a more significant lineup overhaul.
The contract fits MLBTR’s projection of two years and $36MM. Few priority returning targets have received two-year guarantees with opt-outs in recent seasons. This is more attractive to the player, who locks in more security than if they received a straight one-year deal to return to free agency after one season.
Hoskins’ deal is a 2-year, $36 million deal Michael Conforto He signed with the Giants last summer after missing the ’22 season recovering from shoulder surgery. Players love it Josh Bell (Two years, $33MM) and Lucas Giolito (Two years, $38.5MM) signed similar deals after disappointing results on their respective platforms. This contract structure isn’t within the reach of every returning prospect, but it’s the kind of high ceiling that free agents like him can get from time to time.
The specific salary structure is not reported. If the deal guarantees Hoskin $17MM per season, it will push Milwaukee’s projected salary cap to $122MM. Directory resource. That’s up slightly from last year’s opening day mark of $119MM. Milwaukee’s payroll is manageable even with the addition of Hoskins. Corbin Burns And Willie Adams (Each earned more than $12MM at the end of the arbitration period) on the books.
If Hoskin picks up where he left off before the injury, he could join Burns and Adams on next year’s free agent market. Pete Alonso, Paul Goldschmidt And Christian Walker They will all be an exciting first grade class next summer. The rest of the team’s options this season aren’t very strong. Beyond the outfield/first baseman Cody BellingerThe top first basemen are still unsigned Brandon BeltSantana, Garrett Cooper And Joey Votto.
More to come.