The Phillies will extend a $20.325MM qualifying offer to right-hander Aaron Nola but not to first baseman Rhys Hoskins, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Hoskins, 30, was an interesting borderline case for a QO. On the one hand, he had slugged 148 home runs in his career and slashed .242/.353/.492 for a wRC+ of 126. But he then missed the entire 2023 season after tearing his left ACL in Spring Training.
That could have been a tricky decision for the Phils but it seems they have opted against giving Hoskins the QO, seemingly expecting that he would have accepted it. That would have been logical from his point of view, returning to a familiar environment while hoping for a bounceback campaign. A salary of $20.325MM for Hoskins would have been reasonable if he were healthy, but it’s also a lot of money to tie up right at the beginning of the offseason, in addition to the risk of him having some rust after the lost season.
The Phils also have some flexibility now that Bryce Harper got playing time at first base in 2023 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery and couldn’t play the outfield. The outfielder picture has Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Johan Rojas, Brandon Marsh, Cristian Pache and Jake Cave, so perhaps they didn’t want to lock up a first baseman like Hoskins and push Harper back into the outfield on an everyday basis.
This only helps Hoskins out as a free agent, since receiving a QO has a negative effect on a player’s earning power. Being saddled with draft pick forfeiture will cause some clubs to lower how much they are willing to spend on a given player while some other will steer clear of such players completely. By avoiding the QO, Hoskins can avoid any such worries.
WOW
when he got hurt in spring training I knew he had played his last game for the Phillies. they have to figure out what to do with Nola. Wheeler has one year left. down the line they will need to extend Stott, Bohm and Ranger. no room in the budget for Rhys who has been a great Phillie. I wish him all the best.
Farhan is licking his chops
If the Cubs don’t re-sign Bellinger, or make a big trade for Alonso, I could see him there. They still need a LH power bat but, who knows..?
Nothing surprising here!
There is no place for Hoskins to play with the Phillies. Schwarber is the dh, and Harper will most likely play first, at least part of the time.
baseballhistory, If the Phils are smart, they’ll resign Hoskins as a free agent, move Harper to the outfield where he is less likely to get hurt, and trade Schwarber who can only be a DH because he is the poorest defensive outfielder in baseball. If the Phils are going to win a world series, they’ll need to keep the DH open and used for their older starters who need an occasional rest from playing defense but who have to stay in the lineup because of their bats. I’m speaking about Harper, Realmuto, Castellanos, Turner, and Bohm. The Phils are unlikey to win a championship with a DH who insists on being the team’s leadoff hitter, even though he is slow on the bases, had a .197 batting average in 2023, and led the NL in strikeouts (215) for the second consecutive year. The Phils should know better than to think they can wih the world series by just replacing guys like Nola and Hoskins with comparable players. The Phils need to do a lot more and addressing their DH problem is the place to start.
The problem is that Hoskins is the poorest defensive first baseman in baseball, he strikes out nearly as much as Schwarber, walks less and has less power. I don’t love Schwarber in the leadoff spot either, and I agree that he’s probably only a DH, but if the choice is between Schwarber and Hoskins, I’ll take Schwarber.
Rob, Methinkest thou hast been eating too much Wawa. It’s rumored too much of the secret hoagie sauce turns you into a Schwarber fan. The most Hoskins ever struck out was 173 times in 2019. Schwarber struck out 200 times in 2022 and 215 times in 2023, both times leading the NL in that category. Schwarber walked 126 times in 2023 and Hoskins walked 116 times in 2019. Hoskins has always been recognized for his plate discipline and keen eye while Schwarber has gotten the reputation for getting more than his fair share of walks on 3-2 pitches that should have been strikeouts. Hoskins hit .246 in 2022 while Schwarber batted .197 in 2023. Hoskins OBP was .332 in 2022 while Schwarber’s was .343 in 2023. Schwarber displays power more often than Hoskins because he swings for the fences 100% of the time. The notable exception is when he’s in one of his long slumps and tries to bunt his way on base out of desperation. Hoskins is much more disciplined at the plate and gets singles and doubles on pitches that Schwarber strikes out on. Hoskins is not a great fielding first baseman but he is serviceable and his defensive rank is much higher than that of Schwarber who was statistically the worst fielding outfielder in the majors in 2023. So, it would appear Hoskins and Schwarber are closer in positive categories and farther apart in negative categories than your post implies. Given the choice, I’d take Hoskins over Schwarber because he can play a defensive position, would require a lower salary, and has always been committed to one team – the Phillies. Given the current availability of a surprising number of quality free agents who can hit, run, throw, and field, the Phils may not resign Hoskins, but they would do well to consider better options to their lineup than Schwarber. Simply replacing Nola and Hoskins with comparable players is not going to allow the Phils to win the world series in 2024. To do so, the Phils need to get rid of some excess weight and add a few athletes who can help the Phils in multiple different ways.
When is he back from injury?
Will be 110% by ST.
There was actual talk of him being a PH in the WS…
Harper at first next year is fine with me.
Rhys will have to settle for a pillow deal at a lower AAV after not having played at all in 2023.
He might, he might also sign a 4 year / 50M+ deal. Not playing is a bigger deal had he been a pitcher or if his medicals show he’s not fully healthy.
It’ll be interesting to see what Rhys is worth on the open market
Hoskins isn’t worth $20M healthy. That said if he is healthy I hope the M’s take a look!
Cubs likely to feel this out. Call it Cody Bellinger 2.0. Hopefully not a Hosmer or Mancini.
After hiring Counsell, they won’t be swinging for singles now. I think they’re going all in.
End of an era
sad to see it. My son was born in the fall of 2017, and I was THIS close to a last-minute “Rhys” write-in for his middle name on his birth certificate. That was right when Rhys was going on an absolute rampage to start off his career.
He’ll have a robust market as long as his medicals are clean, meaning he’s expected back in time for next season.
Hoskins has value as a dh. He can play first base, but is a poor defender there. Most likely he gets a 1 year deal, maybe in the 12 – 15 million range.
Could come back home to the Bay Area. Lots of big fans here
Mahalo for all the memories Rhys! Wishing you only success and good health going forward. Here’s to HR’s 150, 200, 250 and 300!
Gonna’ miss the Big Fella for sure. Phils made the very hard, but ultimately correct decision – at least in my humble opinion. Roster construction. While they can still move Bryce back to RF, it makes a lot of sense with him at 1B. He was quite good and can solve the fielding issues over there as he gets more time, and the bat carries well. And the team leader is more impactful on the IF as well as he is more involved out there. Lesser injury risk and wear and tear on our MVP.
Bohm either has to make it at 3rd (and his fielding was ever so much better this year) or go elsewhere. The bat will never be good enough at first to be a real positive. Schwarbs apparently cannot play 1st, and the only other guy is Casty – who actually became pretty solid this year in RF in an upset..
Rhys never became even an average fielding 1B, and did not quite become the hitter that we thought he could be during his inaugural season. But he is a true mensch and a quality player…it is just that he can really improve a lot of teams out there more than he fits with the Phils. Great kid – wish that the circumstances were different. All the best to him wherever he goes.
Yeah, I think Rhys signs a conforto type 1 + 1 deal as a player option. He’s limited to 1b / DH roles stating the obvious.
It only takes one team to overpay him. Have heard the Pitts / cubs rumbles? Going to be a fun offseason as a phillies’ fan
I am not certain that he does not get a longer term deal out of someone. He is not coming off of TJS or shoulder surgery with all of the uncertainty that an arm injury for a pitcher entails.
For a team that thinks that they are on the rise that needs a team leader, a middle of the order bat and has a hole at 1st / DH? I can see him getting a 4 or 5 year deal. His decision might come down to getting another bite from the apple and betting on himself if he doesn’t feel as if the AAV is there, or he prefers certain teams over others.
Offensively, Rhys and Castellanos are similar. They go hot for 10 games then snap off an 0 for 23 with 12 Ks. They need a productive contact hitter kind of like Brantley when he was healthy.
I wouldn’t be shocked if Phillies resign him for a lesser amount. 2 yrs / 30 mm or something similar
Unless Harper returns as a full time outfielder, there is “no place at the inn”!
… Did all of Philadelphia forget that Harper was a pretty good OFer before TJ, and there’s nothing to say he couldn’t still be good out in the grass? Or if he slows down as he ages, that he Caught in college, and could probably play 3B if Alec Bohm never takes a couple steps forward?…
I played SS in T-Ball too. But just like Bryce Harper I won’t be a starting major league 3B.
Ring-a-ling-a-ling!
It’s Mike Rizzo on line one! He says it’s a limited time offer!
As a RS fan, I’d have an interest in him replacing Turner. Having a 1B glove, even without being a fielder, is an added benefit.
He’s coming to SF, book it. He’s a lifelong giants fan and his favorite player growing up was JT Snow. It just makes too much sense.
One problem with that prediction. His buddy, Gabe Kapler, is no longer managing the Giants. I foresee him most likely going to the Cubs. His bat would be most productive in the Windy City. And the Cubs seem to be the team that gets the former Phillies.
The Buccos need to try to get him.
Agreed. Would love to have Rhys with the bucs for 1yr/$20M if Nutting would write that check.
If the Pirates are serious about competing this year (big if) they really should be looking to add $50-60M to their payroll this offseason.