Former Phillies fan favorite Rhys Hoskins in danger of being designated for assignment

What was a few years ago, the Philadelphia Phillies had one of the better right-handed-hitting first basemen in baseball in Rhys Hoskins. Hoskins, unfortunately, tore his ACL during spring training ahead of the 2023 season, obviously having some bad luck on his side. 

Unfortunately, Hoskins hasn't been the same player since that injury, though he still managed to hit 26 home runs in 2024 for the Milwaukee Brewers. Those 26 home runs only led to a negative 0.1 bWAR, as he was typically a 1.5 to 3.0 bWAR player prior to that.

Regardless, teams bring in players like Hoskins for what he can do offensively and for his ability to hit home runs. 

Nobody is really worried about what he does on the defensive side of the baseball, as that's typically viewed as a plus. Right now, however, Hoskins hasn't been able to produce at the level the Cleveland Guardians have been hoping for. 

He has just five home runs and is currently hitting .189 with a 106 OPS+. From the sound of things, the former Phillies fan favorite might be getting replaced because of his play.

“Maybe the answer is that they just try to upgrade from Rhys Hoskins at DH, assuming he doesn't heat up. If the Cincinnati Reds wound up selling—which probably isn't especially likely—Eugenio Suárez would be an interesting rental,” Tim Kelly of BR wrote.

It's always possible that a guy like Hoskins could get designated for assignment, as he's currently on a one-year deal that initially was a minor league contract, which guaranteed $1.5 million. 

The Guardians wouldn't have to worry about losing much money in that regard, so perhaps there's a reunion in Philadelphia waiting for him if the Phillies want to add a right-handed bat with some juice.

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