First baseman Rhys Hoskins has been on the Cubs’ radar for much of the offseason, and Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets that the two sides have remained in contact throughout the winter and discussed both one-year and multi-year proposals.
Word of continued interest in Hoskins comes not long after USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that the Cubs’ optimism about their chances of landing Shohei Ohtani had “significantly waned.” Perhaps the timing is sheer coincidence, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise for the Cubs to begin exploring contingency plans more earnestly if they indeed believe they’ve fallen behind in their efforts to lure Ohtani to Wrigley Field.
Hoskins, 31 in March, is a logical fit for a Cubs roster that lacks clearly defined options at both first base and designated hitter. Young slugger Christopher Morel is expected to get some reps at first base, but the 24-year-old has to this point in his big league career fanned in just shy of 32% of his plate appearances, making it hard to bank on him as a productive option moving forward — impressive as his power output may be. There’s also the possibility that Morel himself could be part of a trade package to address other needs on the roster; president of baseball ops Jed Hoyer acknowledged when explaining that Morel was likely to see some time at first base that Morel is blocked at his best position (second base) on the Cubs’ roster but “another team might be able to put him there.”
The Cubs also have 32-year-old slugger Patrick Wisdom in both the first base and designated hitter mix, but Wisdom has fanned at a jarring 35.2% clip over the past two seasons while hitting .206/.295/453 in 836 plate appearances. He’s slugged 48 homers in that time, to his credit, but the bulk of Wisdom’s damage has come against left-handed pitching and he could be viewed as more of a part-time player as a result.
Hoskins missed the 2023 season after suffering a torn ACL in spring training. He was a sensible qualifying offer candidate all the same, given his track record, but the Phillies opted not to make the QO and announced early in the offseason that Bryce Harper would be moving to first base on a regular basis. With Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos both also on the roster and in need of DH time, that all but closed the door on a reunion with Hoskins, who’d been the Phillies’ primary first baseman since 2017 (save for a one-year dalliance into left field that did not yield good results).
In parts of six big league seasons, Hoskins is a .242/.353/.493 hitter with 148 home runs. He’s walked at a stout 13.5% clip, and while his 23.9% strikeout rate is worse than average, it’s not that far north of this past season’s 22.7% leaguewide mark. He’s hit between .245 and .247 in four of his past five seasons, with OBPs ranging from .332 to .354 and slugging percentages sitting between .462 and .530. Broadly speaking, even though Hoskins hits for a fairly pedestrian average, his robust walk rate and plus power have made him an above-average performer with the bat. He’s typically graded as a below-average defender at first base but not a complete liability by any means.
That the Cubs and Hoskins have described various permutations of a potential structure shouldn’t come as a surprise. He’s a clear candidate for the conventional one-year pillow contract that so many prominent free agents have taken on the heels of injury-ruined seasons over the years. At the same time, it’s become increasingly common for players to secure two-year pacts wherein the second season is a player option. Such structures might’ve once been reserved for the game’s truly premier players, but we’ve now reached a point where even relievers (e.g. Emilio Pagan), swingmen and back-end starters (e.g. Nick Martinez, Ross Stripling, Sean Manaea) have landed such opportunities.
Agent Scott Boras, who represents Hoskins, has negotiated two-year deals with opt-outs for the aforementioned Martinez and Manaea, in addition to Carlos Rodon and perhaps most relevant to Hoskins, Michael Conforto. Like Hoskins, Conforto missed an entire season due to injury (shoulder surgery), but he nonetheless inked a two-year, $36MM deal with the Giants that allowed him to opt out this winter if he chose. The opt-out was contingent on Conforto reaching 350 plate appearances, which he did, though the former All-Star wound up staying put after an unspectacular first year in San Francisco.
That type of structure could well hold appeal to Hoskins. We at MLBTR placed him 26th on our annual ranking of the game’s top 50 free agents, pegging him for that exact same contract structure signed by Conforto.
Would be a fantastic get for Cubbies
I’ve seen better t-ball defensive first basemen
Same .992 fielding percentage as Alonso and not far behind Votto, known as a good fielder, at .994. Your T-Ball team must be in a Velcro glove league
He’s a liability at 1B, just “not a complete liability.” Makes me wonder what he’s missing! I guess that makes him an unfinished liability.
Cheaper and more cost effective than Polar Bear who the fans don’t like – he surly
Moving on from Ohtani. Next target RH – oh boy, I hope it didn’t hurt when you fell that far!
Would you rather have Ohtani for 10-15 years
Or shorter contracts for Hoskins and whatever else Ohtani money buys you?
For one Ohtani you can prolly get 10-15 Rhys Hoskins so yes, good buy
Split personality perspective.
The Cubs fan part of me would be content to see Rhy Hopkins at 1B/DH.
The White Sox fan half of me would be thrilled if Andrew Vaughn could produce the 36 HR’s and 98 RBI’s that Rhys Hopkins has averaged as a Philly over a 162 game schedule. Just saying….
They should change Chicagos moniker from Second City to Second best city. Nothing wrong with settling. The Great American prairie was once settled by settlers. People who had big Pacific coast dreams when they set out in the covered wagons then got tired and lazy and when they out of gas and chips so settled for the Cleveland and Detroits of the world.
If the cubs sign Hoskins they’re definitely moving on from Bellinger. Which I’m okay with because he’s likely asking for way too much money and years.
Is PCA the starting CF out of spring? A 1 year deal for Hoskins and a multi-year deal for Bellinger lets them take their time with PCA.
PCA is contact challenged. Not being able to hit the round white thing with the stick is an issue.
You’re basing this on what? 13 MLB plate appearances? He has hit at every level he’s played at.
So you’re saying this PCA not so wampun with the walloping, eh? More tin cup, less happy Gilmore?
Bellinger might want that 10-year deal, that’s too many years. A 7-year-deal would be a lot easier to take in. Cubbies looking to pivot from Ohtani it seems.
Going from Ohtani -> Bellinger -> Hoskins is a near Giants level downgrade.
The giants went from signing Arson Judge to signing Joc Pederson.
Exactly.
You misspelled Aaron. There fixed it for ya. If only the Giants had signed Anson when they couldn’t Aaron, they’d be happier days indeed.
If you sign either Ohtani or Belli then you’re DONE and can’t do anymore. If you sign Hoskins you’ll still have $ to address other roster needs. The Cubs aren’t some powerhouse team coming off a 100+ win season. They clearly have other needs besides Ohtani or Belli.
Darn. Really wanted the Cubs to sign Bellinger, that contract is going to look terrible after roughly year 3
Seems like the vast majority of long term agreements look regrettable by about year 3. Owners and GMs seem to never learn to “Just Say NO”.
Yup.
Cubs need bats. Bellinger can play all 3 outfield spots, 1st and dh. If they signed Ohtani he would be full time dh. No reason they can’t sign Hoskins for the same role.
Signing 1B Rhys Hopkins likely closes the door on a Cody Bellinger reunion.
It might also open the door for a Juan Soto trade. Soto’s more elite left-handed bat replaces Bellinger’s. Soto slots in as the starting LF and occasionally shares the DH role with Hopkins and others. Ian Happ becomes the primary CF. The Cubs could still take their time with PCA by utilizing him as their 4th outfielder in 2024, one who would start when the inevitable OF injury occurs.
Happ can play CF?
Personally I don’t see how getting Hoskins prevents you from getting Bellinger if you’re just going to try and trade for Soto (in terms of playing time). Especially since you’re planning to have PCA in a limited role anyway. I would argue that a team with Soto in LF, Happ in CF, and Hoskins at 1B is much worse defensively than a team with Happ in LF, Bellinger in CF, and Hoskins at 1B.
Putting Happ in CF would liven things up considerably. Like when you’re playing pinball and that bonus ball is released. Can never have enough chaos pinballing around the outfield. So much fun in Arizona.
Ian Happ in CF is not the ideal scenario. That said, it has been his second most utilized position with the Cubs after LF. Among his OF reps, he had a fairly even split between the two until 2022 when he became the Cubs regular LF. It would be a short term proposition for sure in order to accommodate the elite bat of Juan Soto who can only play LF or DH. Wrigley Field does offer one of MLB’s smallest CF areas to cover and PCA is available for late defense when needed in 2024 before he becomes the Cubs core player in the middle.
Clearly the Cubs have been viewed as one of the top fits for Soto this offseason for his elite left-handed bat alone. If the Cubs were fortunate to acquire him they will figure out a way to make it work, be it in LF or at DH.
Frankly, I was surprised when the front office extended Happ before last season considering they had already inked free agent Seiya Suzuki to a 5 yrs/$85M (22-26) contract the previous offseason. The Cubs greatest system depth has been in the outfield which really only left CF open, to Bellinger in 2023 and presumably PCA for the long haul.
Taking that 500 million for Ohtani and reinvesting it into several players makes sense for an imperfect team like Chicago. Hoskins, a 1-3 level pitcher (Snell/Monty/Imanaga/Yamamoto/Cease/Glasnow), and maybe retaining Bellinger probably makes them better overall.
Someone else can have Cease. The white Sox will want more than a kings ransom from the Cubs to trade him back to the north side.
Please Cubs, sign Glasnow. There is only downside on that trade.
Glasnow has a lot of downside too. Injuries could limit him to 50 innings. Any team acquiring Glasnow basically has to hope they can get him to throw 150 innings for the first time in his career. 120 innings or less (like he usually throws) doesn’t help anyone.
Yes, that’s what I said (I’m not a Cubs fan).
Aren’t all teams Imperfect? So it would make sense for all of them?
You know what they say- Rhys: poor man’s Ohtani.
Hoskins is sub par defensively but is a “Big Bat” that sees a lot pitches, drives in runs and is productive in the biggest and most pressure filled moments. Sign this guy and forget about wasting 200+ million dollars on the roller coaster, up & down career that is Cody Bellinger.
That would seem like the most prudent move. I hope they don’t make it…
Mlb – I agree on passing on Belli. A 1 year revival doesn’t make me want to go 10/200 or whatever it takes to have him. I can’t erase those 2-3 DFA type years immediately preceding 2023.
However, in MLB players are paid on what they did last year and what they are projected based on last year – so many overpaid underperforming guys out there so he probably gets what he wants from some team.
Let PCA handle CF.
The PCL Cubs. Let the era of non stop winning commence
Just doesn’t have to be my favorite team!
All he does is walk. He’s not clutch except for the homer off Strider
Getting Hoskins wouldn’t mean the Cubs are out on Bellinger. I’ve always thought that when the Cubs moved off of Ohtani that Bellinger was plan B. Hoskins and Bellinger can still bat in the same batting order rather easily. Bellinger or 1B. Hoskins 1B or DH. morel 3B or DH. It all still works. Just need 1 SP and some bullpen guys. Play Ball! Cubs still have an Ace in the Hole for Bellinger in Dustin Kelly. He’s been around for most of Bellinger’s success.
Harper is taking over first base. No place for him on the Phillies.
Rhys is a terrific kid who will be a positive for whoever signs him. If his defense had ever really progressed to a point that he was relatively solid at first, he would be in greater demand. But the bat is a middle of the order bat on good teams…not a superstar and too streaky but still a very productive bat. And his price point will be sane compared to so many out there.
Plus, his wife likes to buy beer for her section when she is at the games.
If the cubs sign him. She’s gonna be very popular with the bleacher bums.
Which makes her him an immediate Wrigley all timer. Sign em up. It’s all about the beersh. Can she sing up? Karaoke afterwards as soon as the Cubs win. Fly the W!
And don’t forget the Beer Snake.
Who needs Arizona Snake when you have Beer Snake
Well, karaoke always sounds a bit better with beers, so no one actually remembers if she can really sing…
Would be a great fit.
Ths dream for every other NLC team is that the Cubs sign both Ohtani and Bellinger and morph into the Angels
“Jon Morosi of MLB.com tweets that the two sides have remained in contact throughout the winter and discussed both one-year and multi-year proposals.”
Last I checked it is December 5th, 5 days into the meteorological winter and 16 days before the astronomical season starts. lol
Sorry for “being that guy” once again…
As a sport that begins in the spring and ends in the fall Baseball considers everything after the World Series as “winter”
This old timer always consider the time between the last pitch of the World Series and the first day when pitchers and catcher reported in February as THE HOT STOVE, not winter. 🙂
Asaps 1, Moronsi 0
Winter starts when the Cubs are eliminated which like your mileage, varies per usage
I like Hoskins. Morel needs AB’s. Without Bellinger, we’re a bit too right handed. PCA is their only lefty in lineup. Happ is switch hitter. Very weak from left side. Major cause for concern. They have to re-sign Bellinger and get pitching!!
Wrigley, I’m happy to see that I’m not the only person on here that feels this way, about the Cubs lacking left handed balance in their lineup. Although I might have a higher opinion of Tauchman than many, as a stop gap.
Ross IMO, really messed things up last year by bouncing Mervis around, and never seemingly showing faith and sticking longer with Mervis.
Maybe it’s just me, but the way Ross used Mervis seemed to me, that Ross wasn’t in favor of playing the kid. Ross wanted all vets.
I believe Mervis should get another shot. Heck, Rizzo stunk it up in his first call up. Sandberg was 0 for his first 28. Mervis would go well with Hoskins as 1B/DH guys.
Rondon,
I agree, Mervis didn’t get much of a chance and Rizzo sucked in his first taste at the big leagues.
Dogbone,
Yes I agree Ross played the veterans like Mancini and Hosmer too much didn’t give Mervis the at-bats needed to get accustomed to MLB pitching. That was a detriment of Ross in my opinion.
If Bellinger wants a 10-year-deal, I say pivot to San Diego and see about putting a deal together for Soto. Soto is a lackluster fielder, yes, but Cubs can stuff him at DH. Just another option seeing how Ohtani is not likely to sign with the Cubs. Need other contingency plans in the works.
But my predictions contest score tho lol. Hoskins is a great fit for the cubbies and I am not at all saying that out of self interest! 😉
I’m not sure Hoskins is that much of an upgrade over Morel.
Hoskins is a slugger with the ability to make pitchers throw a ton of pitches. He’s prone to incredible hot streaks followed by big slumps. He makes any lineup deeper. Great get if you need a DH. His defense is horrible.
You can hide Hoskins poor defense with Hoerner’s exceptional glove. Plus Suzuki in right field is pretty good, he can come in to help with those pesky fly balls over the first base side.
Hoskins looks like the player to get. Will Matt Mervis get another shot? Maybe he’ll get a look at DH with Wisdom if Morel is traded. Or who knows? Maybe Hoskins flops like Hosmer and Mancini and Mervis gets a long look a 1st.
Hoskins at DH, Mervis at 1B, Morel at 3B or CF and Wisdom rotating between 1B/3B/DH or traded for whatever they can get for him
I’m far from a baseball savant. But that line up makes the team potentially worse than last year. All things equal. Morel and Wisdom in the field at any given time could be brutal. They are generally poor defenders. Mervis is average at 1st in the minors. There’s work to be done. Still surprised Candelerio isn’t discussed as an option. Maybe it’s the money and length of contract. Looking like Matt Chapman could be next. He’s an outstanding defender. Just don’t grossly overpay. Matt Shaw should be ready by 2025 ish. He’s pegged for 3rd.
It that’s the Cubs answer to improving the offense with the departure of Cody Bellinger, their offseason will be a huge disappointment. I’m confident it will not amount to this.
Hoskins can DH and Bellinger can play first. Center for a year if necessary. This doesn’t mean the cubs are out on Belli. If they can’t get the bat they want via trade, I could still see them trying to sign him. He’ll be one of the last to sign.
Would love Rhys on the north side as a Cubs fan. Especially after seeing how the Cubs staff and fans helped Bellinger get back into his own last year I think Wrigley would be the perfect place for Hoskins to do the same. I’d sign Hoskins to a 3-5 year deal with an option after the first 2 years. Keep Morel for the time being and let him and Rhys platoon 1B/DH for the first half of the year. See if Morel can get a hang for the position, or let Hoskins ease into playing the field everyday again. Assuming the later, Morel could be a flip at the deadline if it’s looking like Rhys is a fit and the Cubs are in competition for the Central.
Although trading for Cease and Glasnow would be exciting, and have high upside, I’d rather see the Cubs trade for low for Bieber, sign Hoskins, go after Matt Chapman, and bring in one of the Japanese starters on the market (why not Yamamoto!)
The Mariners need to swoop in and grab Hoskins.
This would be nice just to get one right in the FA contest
I’m not too excited about Hoskins. I would be looking for more of a left handed hitting power bat. I would bail on Ohtani and go get Bellinger first. If the Cubs were serious about Ohtani the money saved might get Belli and maybe Chapman? That’s an elite infield for sure.
If you can get Hoskins on a 1 yr deal and Chapman on a 3 yr deal sign a closer and go home
Now that Bob Hoskins is a lock, will Roger Rabbit be next? Strike now protégé Jedi