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Rhys Hoskins

Latest On Giants’ Offseason Targets

By Steve Adams | January 26, 2024 at 11:59pm CDT

The Giants’ offseason hasn’t necessarily been inactive, but it also hardly hasn’t played out as many fans would’ve expected when president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi kicked off the winter by stating a need to think differently, specifically with regard to the team’s roster construction.

The Giants made one big splash with their December signing of star KBO outfielder Jung Hoo Lee on a six-year deal, but the rest of their additions have been smaller scale in nature. Jordan Hicks, the hardest-throwing reliever on the market, was signed to a four-year deal. The Giants, despite having just one dependable source of innings (ace Logan Webb), plan to stretch the oft-injured Hicks out as a starter. Last year’s 65 2/3 innings were his most since a career-high 77 2/3 frames as a rookie in 2018. San Francisco also added backup catcher Tom Murphy on a two-year deal and acquired former AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray (who’s rehabbing from Tommy John surgery) in a trade with the Mariners that dumped the contracts of Mitch Haniger and Anthony DeSclafani.

That’s a fair bit of activity, but the Giants are still teeming with questions about the composition of both the lineup and the rotation. It doesn’t appear they consider their offense to be a finished product, however. San Francisco made a “late run” at Rhys Hoskins before he signed with the Brewers, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle hears the same but cautions that their offer “wasn’t close” to the two-year, $34MM deal Hoskins inked in Milwaukee. That pact also contains an opt-out provision following the 2024 season.

While the Giants have given opt-out clauses perhaps more regularly than any other team in MLB in recent years — e.g. Haniger, Carlos Rodon, Michael Conforto, Sean Manaea, Ross Stripling — Slusser reports that the team is trying to move away from that contract mold. (Lee’s deal also contains an opt-out, though that comes after four years as opposed to the short-term nature of the others just listed.) Whether it was the lack of an opt-out or reluctance to match the years/dollars on the deal, Hoskins preferred the Brewers’ offer and will spend at least the 2024 season in Milwaukee.

The Giants may have missed on Hoskins — an all too familiar refrain for their fans — but mere interest in the longtime Phillies slugger shows that the Giants remain interested in the possibility of adding a bat to the lineup at either first base or designated hitter. The market still offers quite a few options at both positions. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco ran through some of the top unsigned first basemen earlier today (including old friend Brandon Belt), while DH types still on the market include Justin Turner, J.D. Martinez and Jorge Soler. Last year’s primary designated hitter, Joc Pederson, agreed to a one-year deal with the division-rival Diamondbacks just yesterday.

That said, Slusser also writes that third baseman Matt Chapman remains the Giants’ “top position-player target.” The 30-year-old, two-time Platinum Glove winner has ties to multiple Giants higher-ups; he was drafted by the Athletics when Zaidi was still an assistant GM in Oakland, and new Giants skipper Bob Melvin is obviously quite familiar with Chapman after managing him for the first five seasons of the third baseman’s career with the A’s. Zaidi has been focused on upgrading the team’s defense in addition to deepening his lineup, and Chapman could potentially check both boxes — particularly if he’s able to bounce back from the finger injury he sustained in the weight room in early August, which surely contributed to a disastrous finish at the plate (.183/.259/.318 over his final 139 plate appearances).

There’s still a fair bit of offseason left, but San Francisco’s options — particularly on the free agent market — have dwindled while quite a few needs remain unaddressed. The club hasn’t meaningfully upgraded its power production or added any stable innings behind Webb. The rotation behind the Cy Young runner-up is currently a hodgepodge of swingman Ross Stripling, top prospect Kyle Harrison, 26-year-old Keaton Winn (42 1/3 career innings) and the aforementioned Hicks, who’s made all of eight starts in his MLB career. Alex Cobb should be back in the first half, and Ray could return after the All-Star break, but the Giants have spent more than $165MM in free agency so far and the roster doesn’t look definitively better than it did in 2023 when they lost 83 games.

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Brewers Sign Rhys Hoskins

By Anthony Franco | January 26, 2024 at 4:10pm CDT

January 26: The Associated Press relays the full contract breakdown. Hoskins will make $12MM this year and will be slated for a salary of $18MM in 2025. If he decides to opt out after 2024, he will get a $4MM buyout. The mutual option for 2026 is valued at $18MM and there’s a $4MM buyout on that as well.

January 23: The Brewers announced they have signed free agent first baseman Rhys Hoskins to a two-year deal with an opt-out after 2024 and a mutual option for 2026. It is reportedly a $34MM guarantee for the client of the Boras Corporation.

Hoskins takes a modified pillow contract after missing the entire 2023 season. At the tail end of Spring Training, he tore the ACL in his left knee while retreating to the outfield grass to field a chopper. While he was able to take batting practice by the end of the season, he never quite made it back to the roster. Philadelphia suggested Hoskins may have been activated from the injured list had they advanced to the World Series.

With the Phils coming up a game short of the Fall Classic, the ACL tear marked an unfortunate end to a productive tenure at Citizens Bank Park. Hoskins seemed a potential candidate for the qualifying offer at the beginning of the offseason. The Phils opted against the QO, declaring they were moving Bryce Harper to first base permanently. That made clear Hoskins was headed elsewhere after nearly a decade in the organization.

The Phillies initially selected him in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. Despite the modest draft stock, he hit the ground running in pro ball. He posted huge minor league numbers, mashing his way to the big leagues in the second half of the 2017 campaign.

That excellent production on the farm presaged strong numbers against MLB pitching. Hoskins raked at a .259/.396/.618 clip with 18 home runs over his first 50 games. While he didn’t maintain that pace over any subsequent season, he has been a consistent middle-of-the-lineup presence in Philadelphia.

Hoskins hit between 27 and 34 home runs in his four full seasons between 2018-22. He was on a similar pace in the shortened season, connecting on 10 longballs in 41 games. He has paired that with a walk rate above 10% in every year of his career. That power and patience gives him a solid offensive floor, even if he hasn’t hit above .250 in any season since his rookie year.

Since 2018, Hoskins has posted a .241/.350/.483 batting line. He strikes out in roughly a quarter of his plate appearances. That’s slightly higher than the league average but hardly outlandish, particularly for a player who hits for the kind of power he does. Hoskins has destroyed left-handed pitching at a .250/.399/.522 clip in his career. His .240/.336/.482 slash versus same-handed arms isn’t quite as impressive but remains solidly above average.

The offense carries the overall profile. Hoskins doesn’t offer much as a baserunner. He has graded as a slightly below-average defender throughout his career. It’s unlikely his defense will improve as he’s into his 30s and working back from a significant knee injury.

That’s fine for the Brewers, who needed an offensive upgrade. Milwaukee ranked 17th in runs last season, a subpar figure for a team that plays its home games at hitter-friendly American Family Field. By measure of wRC+, which adjusts for park, Milwaukee ranked 24th in overall hitting production. That was the worst of any playoff team.

First base was particularly problematic. Milwaukee received a dismal .231/.292/.389 showing from the bat-first position. That led the Brew Crew to non-tender Rowdy Tellez. Milwaukee acquired Carlos Santana at the deadline to stabilize first base for the stretch run. The Brewers have remained in contact with Santana this winter, but they’ll instead jump on the opportunity for a more significant lineup upgrade.

The contract aligns with MLBTR’s prediction of two years and $36MM. A few priority rebound targets have landed a two-year guarantee with an opt-out in recent offseasons. That’s appealing for the player, who locks in more security than they’d have received on a straight one-year pact while still allowing them to get back to free agency after one season.

Hoskins’ deal nearly matches the two-year, $36MM pact which Michael Conforto signed with the Giants last winter after missing the ’22 season rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Players like Josh Bell (two years, $33MM) and Lucas Giolito (two years, $38.5MM) have signed similar pacts after terrible finishes to their respective platform seasons. This contract structure isn’t attainable for every bounceback candidate, but it’s one that higher-ceiling free agents of that ilk are increasingly able to secure.

The specific salary structure hasn’t been reported. If the deal guarantees Hoskins $17MM in each season, it’d push Milwaukee’s payroll projection around $122MM, as calculated by Roster Resource. That’s marginally above last year’s $119MM Opening Day mark. Milwaukee’s payroll slate remains manageable even with Hoskins joining Corbin Burnes and Willy Adames (each of whom will make more than $12MM in their final arbitration seasons) on the books.

If Hoskins picks up where he left off before the injury, he’d likely join Burnes and Adames on next year’s free agent market. As with Burnes and Adames, Hoskins would be a candidate for a qualifying offer if he exercises the opt-out. He remains eligible for the QO since Philadelphia opted against the offer this winter. Milwaukee doesn’t have to forfeit any draft picks to add him.

Pete Alonso, Paul Goldschmidt and Christian Walker could all join Hoskins in an interesting first base class next winter. The remaining options for teams this offseason isn’t as robust. Beyond outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger, the top first basemen still unsigned are Brandon Belt, Santana, Garrett Cooper and Joey Votto.

Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported that the two parties were closing in on a two-year, $34MM deal with an opt-out next winter (X link). Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that they’d finalized the agreement.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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Designated Hitter Possibilities For Diamondbacks

By Anthony Franco | January 22, 2024 at 1:16pm CDT

The defending National League champions were among the most aggressive teams early in the offseason. They acquired Eugenio Suárez to address third base and fortified the rotation via a four-year, $80MM contract with Eduardo Rodríguez. Just before Christmas, they reunited with left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a three-year, $42MM guarantee.

Arizona hasn’t made a major league addition since finalizing their new contract with Gurriel a month ago. They’re not done, however. GM Mike Hazen has said a few times the Snakes are looking for a hitter they can plug in at the DH spot. He reiterated that in a chat with Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic not long after the new year, suggesting at the time they felt they were likelier to add another bat in free agency than through trade. While Arizona was focused primarily on right-handed hitters early in the winter, their deals with Suárez and Gurriel have balanced the lineup. Hazen indicated they’re considering DH options of either handedness at this point.

A few of their reported targets remain on the market. Some potential fits:

Right-Handed Free Agents

  • J.D. Martinez: Martinez, who mashed in a two-month stint for Arizona at the end of the 2017 season, remains one of the more productive hitters in the majors. He’s coming off perhaps his best year since 2019. He blasted 33 home runs in only 479 plate appearances for the Dodgers a season ago. His .271/.321/.572 batting line was stellar and he turned in his highest hard contact rate (54.8%) of the Statcast era. The huge power production partially masks an uptick in whiffs, as he struck out at a career-high 31.1% clip. That’s a bit alarming, but teams would happily live with the strikeouts if they anticipate Martinez hitting for that kind of power again. Arizona was tied to Martinez, who did not receive a qualifying offer from L.A., in early December. The Blue Jays, Angels and Mets have also been tied to his market.
  • Jorge Soler: Soler, 32 next month, drilled 36 homers for the Marlins a season ago. His .250/.341/.512 showing was a huge improvement on the .207/.295/.400 mark he turned in during his first year in Miami. Soler made the easy call to decline a $13MM player option in search of a multi-year pact. The Marlins decided not to issue a QO and, according to the slugger, haven’t shown any interest in a reunion. While Soler is one of the sport’s streakiest hitters, he’s near the top of the league in raw power. He draws plenty of walks and trimmed his strikeouts to a managable 24.3% clip last season. Soler should find at least two guaranteed years and has an argument for a three-year pact. Arizona checked in on his market in early December. They’ve been joined by the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Mariners in that regard (although Seattle is probably out of the mix after signing Mitch Garver and reacquiring Mitch Haniger).
  • Justin Turner: Arizona has been linked to Turner in consecutive offseasons. Even at 39, he continues to produce at the plate. He’s coming off a .276/.345/.455 showing with 23 longballs in 626 trips to the dish for the Red Sox. His is a balanced offensive profile. He walks at an average rate, makes a decent amount of hard contact and remains very difficult to strike out (17.6% strikeout percentage last year). Turner is no longer capable of playing every day at third base, but he can factor in at either corner infield spot while logging the bulk of his at-bats at DH. Toronto, the incumbent Red Sox, and Mets have also been linked to him this winter.
  • Rhys Hoskins: Hoskins is the only player in this group to whom the D-Backs haven’t been connected. Perhaps he’s simply not interested in signing as a full-time designated hitter. With Christian Walker at first base, the Snakes would have to push Hoskins into a bat-only role on most days. If he’s open to that possibility, Hoskins makes sense as one of the more consistent offensive players still on the market. The longtime Phillie missed last year after tearing his ACL in Spring Training. Between 2019-22, he hit .240/.349/.479 in more than 2000 trips to the plate. Philadelphia did not issue him a qualifying offer.

Left-Handed Platoon Bats

  • Brandon Belt: While Arizona hasn’t been tied to Belt this offseason, that’s true of essentially everyone. There haven’t been any public revelations on his market despite his strong 2023 season in a platoon capacity for the Blue Jays. The longtime Giant hit .254/.369/.490 with 19 homers through 404 plate appearances. That came almost entirely against right-handed pitching, but he’s still a productive three-true-outcomes hitter when he holds the platoon advantage.
  • Joc Pederson: Last year wasn’t a great showing for Pederson, who hit .235/.348/.416 with 15 homers across 425 trips for the Giants. That’s not what San Francisco envisioned when extending him a near-$20MM qualifying offer last winter. Pederson won’t come close to that kind of salary this time around. Still, he’s only a year removed from a .274/.353/.521 line. Pederson continues to post hard contact rates near the top of the league and has five 20-homer seasons on his résumé.

Trade Possibilities

While Hazen indicated a free agent pursuit was likelier than a trade, they’re not going to close off the latter market entirely. If they don’t find an agreeable price point with any of their targets on the open market, there are a few speculative possibilities on the trade front.

  • Eloy Jiménez: Jiménez is a right-handed hitter who has flashed 30-homer power upside. His career has been interrupted by frequent injuries, including extended absences in 2021 and ’22 (for a ruptured pectoral tendon and a hamstring tendon tear, respectively). Last year was only the second time in his career that he surpassed 100 games. It was also among his least productive seasons, as he hit .272/.317/.441 with 18 homers through 489 plate appearances. Jiménez will make $13MM next year and is guaranteed a $3MM buyout on the first of two club options for 2025-26. The Sox reportedly haven’t found much interest on the trade market as a result.
  • Harold Ramírez: The Rays have floated Ramírez in trade discussions as a potential sell-high candidate. The 29-year-old had an impressive .313/.353/.460 showing last year. He’s up to a .306/.348/.432 slash in nearly 900 plate appearances since Tampa Bay acquired him on the eve of the 2022 season. That production is built around a batting average on balls in play above .350 as opposed to prototypical DH power. While that and an aggressive offensive approach could give some teams pause, he’s a high-contact righty hitter with gap power and the ability to take the ball to all fields. Ramírez is on track to go to an arbitration hearing with Tampa Bay to determine his 2024 salary. He filed at $4.3MM, while the team countered at $3.8MM. He’ll be eligible for arbitration once more after that.
  • Brent Rooker: Rooker, 29, turned in a career year for the A’s. Claimed off waivers from Kansas City last offseason, he popped 30 homers with a .246/.329/.488 showing in 526 plate appearances. The right-handed hitter posted excellent numbers against southpaws (.279/.354/.519) and acceptable production versus same-handed arms (.230/.316/.472). He struck out in nearly a third of his trips but tapped into the huge raw power that made him the 35th overall pick in the 2017 draft. Rooker is still a year from arbitration and under club control for four seasons. The A’s don’t have any urgency to trade him, but they probably wouldn’t consider him a core piece of their long-term rebuild given his age and defensive limitations.
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Arizona Diamondbacks MLBTR Originals Brandon Belt Brent Rooker Eloy Jimenez Harold Ramirez J.D. Martinez Joc Pederson Jorge Soler Justin Turner Rhys Hoskins

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Blue Jays Looking To Add Bat-First Players, Have “Strong Interest” In Joc Pederson

By Nick Deeds | December 31, 2023 at 4:43pm CDT

After missing out on both Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto despite finishing as finalists for both stars, the Blue Jays have recently pivoted to smaller moves than the blockbusters they were contemplating earlier in the offseason. They’ve re-signed center fielder Kevin Kiermaier and added utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa to their infield mix over the past week and a recent report regarded the club as the leaders for the services of right-hander Yariel Rodriguez. According to Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith, the club has also continued to be active in the positional market since signing Kiermaier and Kiner-Falefa, showing strong interest in free agent slugger Joc Pederson.

Pederson, who MLBTR’s Leo Morgenstern profiled just this morning, is coming off something of a down season with the Giants in 2023. The 31-year-old got off to a scorching hot start this past season with a .281/.394/.518 (150 wRC+) slash line through June 17, though that stretch accounted for just 137 plate appearances as the slugger battled wrist and hand injuries early in the season. While Pederson managed to avoid the injured list throughout the remainder of the season, his performance declined significantly throughout the remainder of the campaign. In 288 trips to the plate from June 18 onward, Pederson hit a meager .213/.326/.369 (92 wRC+), a performance that dragged his overall season line down to .235/.348/.416 (111 wRC+). While Pederson’s 20.8% strikeout rate and 12.8% walk rate were more or less in line with his earlier production, Pederson’s BABIP shrunk from .317 to just .247 while his power production suffered a simultaneously dip.

After crushing seven home runs in just 36 games early in the season, Pederson’s final 85 appearances saw him hit just eight round-trippers. Interestingly, the disparity in production came with similar peripheral numbers; Pederson had the same groundball percentage of 39.5% both before and after the aforementioned June 17 cutoff, and his soft contact rate actually went down from 12.8% to 10.8% the rest of the way. Given the minimal change in Pederson’s peripherals regarding batted balls and plate discipline, it’s seemingly fair to expect improved performance in 2024, particularly if he moves to a more homer-friendly park outside of San Francisco. That conclusion is further supported by Pederson’s excellent .368 xwOBA, which outstrips his wOBA by 37 points and is a mirror image of the .367 xwOBA he posted during his dominant 2022 campaign.

If Pederson can even come close to replicating his 2022 season, where he slashed an excellent .271/.353/.521 (146 wRC+) en route to his second career All Star campaign, he’d be an excellent fit for a Blue Jays roster short on left-handed bats following the departure of Brandon Belt, who posted a 138 wRC+ in 103 games this year as the club’s primary DH. Though Pederson primarily played DH in 2023 due to an outfield logjam in San Francisco, the slugger could also help to take some pressure off of Daulton Varsho in left field after a difficult 2023 season. The addition of Pederson would go along way to improving a Toronto offense that underperformed somewhat in 2023 and has since lost both Belt and Matt Chapman to free agency.

Of course, it’s important to note that Nicholson-Smith suggests that things are far from a done deal between the two sides, with the Diamondbacks, Angels, Giants, and Cubs all standing as other potential suitors (though the Cubs, Nicholson-Smith notes, may only have interest should they fail to re-sign Cody Bellinger). Likewise, the Blue Jays are interested in plenty of potential bat-first options beyond Pederson, with Nicholson-Smith name-checking each of Rhys Hoskins, J.D. Martinez, Joey Votto, and Justin Turner. Nicholson-Smith goes on to suggest that a deal with Pederson wouldn’t preclude the Jays from adding a second player from that mold, though it’s worth noting that with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. entrenched at first base only Justin Turner has recent experience elsewhere on the diamond, meaning Pederson would likely need to play the outfield on a regular basis in that scenario.

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Blue Jays Have Some Interest In Rhys Hoskins, Justin Turner

By Anthony Franco | December 19, 2023 at 11:06pm CDT

The Blue Jays have some level of interest in Rhys Hoskins and Justin Turner as they evaluate their options at designated hitter, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. That’s part of a wide net being cast by the front office, as Nicholson-Smith reiterates previously reported ties to J.D. Martinez, Joc Pederson and Joey Votto as well.

Toronto has a vacancy at DH with Brandon Belt returning to the open market. Bringing in a left-handed bat to complement a lineup led by Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., George Springer and Danny Jansen would be ideal, but the interest in Martinez suggests they’re not limiting themselves solely to lefty hitters. GM Ross Atkins has alluded to the potential for multiple lineup additions, after all. The Jays could add a right-handed DH while bringing in a lefty bat in the outfield.

Hoskins lost the 2023 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee during Spring Training. He’d likely have made it back as a DH or pinch-hitting option had the Phillies made the World Series. While that didn’t happen, the 30-year-old (31 in March) projects as one of the better offensive players on the market. Hoskins has been a consistent middle-of-the-order presence throughout his career, compiling a .242/.353/.492 line. He has hit between 27 and 34 home runs in each of the four full seasons he’s played while running better than average walk rates on an annual basis.

Turner has been a consistently strong lineup presence as well. He hasn’t had a below-average offensive season since his 2014 breakout with the Dodgers. At age 39, he’s no longer suited for 140+ starts at third base. Yet Turner could serve as a primary DH while rotating in at the hot corner, where the Jays have a question with Matt Chapman still in free agency. Turner is still more than capable of handling a primary DH role. He’s coming off an impressive .276/.345/.455, 23-homer showing for the Red Sox.

It doesn’t seem either player is a priority target for the Toronto front office. Nicholson-Smith suggests the Jays could wait out the market for another few weeks to determine whether anyone in a broad group of hitters of interest presents strong value later in the offseason.

Hoskins has also drawn reported interest from the Cubs, Mariners and Nationals. Turner has been on the radar of the incumbent Red Sox, Mets and Diamondbacks. MLBTR predicted Hoskins to land a two-year, $36MM guarantee that allows him to opt out after next season, although a standard one-year pillow contract is also possible. Turner seems likelier to sign for one year given his age, but he could also command a salary in the $16-18MM range.

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Mariners Reportedly Interested In Rhys Hoskins

By Nick Deeds | December 16, 2023 at 4:12pm CDT

The Mariners have interest in first baseman Rhys Hoskins, according to a report from MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. Hoskins is considered unlikely to return to his longtime club in Philadelphia after the Phillies shifted Bryce Harper to first base full time earlier this offseason.

Hoskins, 31 in March, missed the entire 2023 season due to a torn ACL but was one of the league’s premiere power hitters since his first full-season as a major leaguer back in 2018. Over that time, Hoskins’s 130 homers tied with slugger J.D. Martinez for 15th among all MLB hitters while his isolated slugging ranks 24th, just below the likes of Giancarlo Stanton and Matt Olson while clocking in just ahead of players like Ronald Acuna Jr. and Juan Soto.

That sort of prodigious power production would surely help the Mariners, particularly after the club saw Teoscar Hernandez depart for free agency while parting ways with Eugenio Suarez, Jarred Kelenic, and Mike Ford. Those departures have left Seattle in position to improve their contact rate relative to last season, but short on power. The four aforementioned players combined for 75 of the club’s 210 home runs last season, leaving Julio Rodriguez and Cal Raleigh as the lineup’s only reliable sources of power. Hoskins could improve the club’s power potential while also offering a palatable career strikeout rate of 23.9% that wouldn’t conflict with their goal of a more contact-oriented offense in 2024.

That said, the fit between the Mariners and Hoskins isn’t perfect, as the club currently has Ty France as their everyday first baseman. France was one of the Mariners’ better contact hitters in 2023 as he struck out at a clip of just 17.6%, but the 29-year-old’s 104 wRC+ indicates that his overall production left something to be desired, particularly given his offense-first position of first base. If Hoskins were head up north to Seattle, it’s possible that France, who has logged occasional time at second and third base throughout his career, could pitch in all around the infield while also spelling Hoskins at first base, allowing him to ease back into an everyday role with DH starts after his lengthy absence due to injury. Of course, it’s also worth noting that the club fielded trade offers on France in the run-up to the trade deadline last summer, though it’s unclear if any such conversations have occurred this winter.

Hoskins isn’t the only power hitter the Mariners have been attached to in recent weeks, as free agent sluggers Jorge Soler and Martinez have both been rumored as potential targets for Seattle as well. Martinez is a somewhat questionable fit for a team looking to prioritize contact, as he posted a strikeout rate north of 30% in 2023, but Soler could prove to be an even better fit for Seattle’s needs than Hoskins given their dearth of outfield depth. Hoskins also has more suitors beyond Seattle, as he’s been connected to the Nationals in recent weeks while also reportedly discussing multiple potential contract frameworks with the Cubs.

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Cubs, Rhys Hoskins Have Discussed One-Year And Multi-Year Deals

By Steve Adams | December 5, 2023 at 2:13pm CDT

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.

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Chicago Cubs Rhys Hoskins

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East Notes: Nationals, Mets, Rays

By Nick Deeds | December 2, 2023 at 6:04pm CDT

The Nationals finished the 2023 season with a 71-91 record that left them as one of the worst teams in the National League, even as it represented a substantial improvement over the club’s 107-loss 2022 campaign. While the club has sat out the top of the free agent market during the recent seasons of their rebuild, it seems that may not be the case this offseason as the club looks to upgrade at the infield corners and at DH, per TalkNats. The club has already been linked to a reunion with third baseman Jeimer Candelario, who was posting career-best numbers with the Nats prior to being dealt to the Cubs at the trade deadline. The report suggests that the club has interest in first baseman Rhys Hoskins and outfield/DH slugger Jorge Soler in addition to Candelario. The report goes on to indicate that Washington has been “very active” in the starting pitching market to this point in the offseason, though it does not connect any specific names to the club.

The rumored targets make sense for the Nationals. The club has a major hole at third base given that former top prospect Carter Kieboom has failed to establish himself the big league level. Kieboom’s .207/.266/.368 slash line (70 wRC+) in 2023 was largely in line with his career numbers of .199/.297/.301 (65 wRC+), and Candelario or another third base addition would almost certainly represent a significant upgrade over the 26-year-old. Meanwhile, an addition at first base or DH could help the club improve an offense that currently figures to use journeyman Joey Meneses at one position without an established starter at the other.

As for the rotation, the club has several interesting young arms such as Josiah Gray and MacKenzie Gore that they figure to prioritize developing, with veterans such as Patrick Corbin and Trevor Williams who can reliably eat innings. That being said, the Nationals’ starting staff posted a combined 5.02 ERA last season, the sixth-worst figure in the majors. What’s more, the club’s 5.30 FIP in the rotation was better than only the lowly Rockies, while their starting staff combined for just 4.9 fWAR, better than only Colorado and Oakland. That leaves plenty of room for improvement if the club decides to add even a lower-level free agent such as Matthew Boyd or Frankie Montas to its rotation, to say nothing of a more impactful addition.

More from around MLB’s East divisions…

  • While the Mets have reportedly shifted their focus away from superstar free agent Shohei Ohtani, Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggests that the club is still looking at potential impact additions this offseason. They’ve long been connected to top-of-the-market arm Yoshinobu Yamamoto as they explore potential rotation upgrades, and Heyman adds that the Mets are looking into “nearly every available frontline starter” in addition to Yamamoto, including southpaws Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and Eduardo Rodriguez. While Heyman notes the club is unlikely to land a rental arm such as Tyler Glasnow or Shane Bieber on the trade market, he does suggest the club’s interest in rotation upgrades extends to White Sox starter Dylan Cease, who is under team control for the next two seasons and has seen plenty of trade buzz this offseason. Rotation upgrades make plenty of sense for New York after the club shipped out veteran aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer at the trade deadline over the summer, leaving Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana, and newly-signed righty Luis Severino as the club’s only rotation locks entering 2024.
  • The Rays have interest in a reunion with right-hander Cooper Criswell even after non-tendering him last month, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Criswell, 27, made his big league debut as a member of the Angels in 2021 with a one-game cup of coffee that lasted just 1 1/3 innings. He spent the past two seasons as a member of the Rays, with a 5.45 ERA and 5.00 FIP in 36 1/3 innings of work across 11 appearances. While those numbers are certainly nothing to write home about, Criswell’s ability to go multiple innings and 46.8% career groundball rate at the big league level could make him a worthwhile depth addition for a Rays club that relied on 40 different pitchers throughout the 2023 campaign.
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New York Mets Notes Tampa Bay Rays Washington Nationals Blake Snell Cooper Criswell Dylan Cease Eduardo Rodriguez Jeimer Candelario Jordan Montgomery Jorge Soler Rhys Hoskins

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MLBTR Podcast: Aaron Nola, Non-Tenders And The Pace Of The Offseason

By Darragh McDonald | November 22, 2023 at 11:58pm CDT

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

  • The Phillies re-sign Aaron Nola (0:50)
  • The Braves sign Reynaldo López (7:20)
  • The Cardinals sign Lance Lynn (10:30)
  • Interesting non-tenders, including Brandon Woodruff… (12:10)
  • Spencer Turnbull… (14:10)
  • ..and Rowdy Tellez (17:10)

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Why is the MLB offseason so slow to get going? The other leagues, most of your top free agents are off the board within a few days. It’s been three weeks since players filed for free agency and nothing. (19:55)
  • Do you think the Dodgers do something major this year or will it be another disappointing offseason for the fans? (23:30)
  • Do you think the Pirates sign Rhys Hoskins or settle for someone cheaper? (26:20)

Check out our past episodes!

  • Top Trade Candidates, Bryce Harper at First Base and the Braves’ Raising Payroll – listen here
  • Top 50 Free Agents Megapod (with Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams and Anthony Franco) – listen here
  • Juan Soto Speculation, Melvin and Zaidi in SF, and Boston Hires Breslow – listen here
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Atlanta Braves Detroit Tigers Los Angeles Dodgers MLB Trade Rumors Podcast Milwaukee Brewers Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Pirates St. Louis Cardinals Aaron Nola Brandon Woodruff Lance Lynn Reynaldo Lopez Rhys Hoskins Rowdy Tellez Spencer Turnbull

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Cubs Reportedly Interested In Rhys Hoskins

By Nick Deeds | November 12, 2023 at 2:45pm CDT

The Cubs consider free agent first baseman Rhys Hoskins to be a “good fit for their roster,” per Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. The pair adds that Hoskins is an attractive potential addition for the Cubs thanks to his postseason experience and his likely openness to a short-term contract, noting that Hoskins’s agent Scott Boras acknowledged that there’s “potential” for a pillow contract for Hoskins this offseason at the GM Meetings last week.

Hoskins is in a very unusual situation as a free agent, both because he missed the entire 2023 campaign due to an ACL tear during Spring Training but also because a reunion with his former club is all but certainly off the table. The Phillies have announced that Bryce Harper will be moving to first base on a permanent basis for the club after learning the position while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, while Kyle Schwarber is slated to act as the club’s everyday DH. Those positional changes leave the Phillies without a spot in their lineup for Hoskins, who played some left field early in his career with the Phillies but graded out poorly at the position and has been a first baseman exclusively since 2019.

Few teams are in clear need of an upgrade at first base this offseason, as the majority of clubs already have an established regular at the position. The Cubs do not fall into that category, however; while they ranked middle of the pack with a 103 wRC+ from first base last year, that production was buoyed by the contributions of star free agent Cody Bellinger, who is far from guaranteed to return to Chicago and was primarily used in center field with Chicago last season. Though the Cubs have reportedly considered giving young power bat Christopher Morel a run at first base, the youngster has never played the position at the big league level and was responsible for the majority of the club’s production at DH last year, meaning Hoskins could still be a fit even if the club wants to try Morel or a prospect like Matt Mervis at first base.

While Hoskins missing the 2023 campaign has drawn some attention away from him, it’s worth noting that the 30-year-old has been one of the most consistent hitters in the majors in recent years. Since he made his big league debut in 2017, only 24 hitters have posted a higher wRC+ than Hoskins’s 126 figure while stepping up to the plate more frequently than he has. He also ranks 19th in walk rate and 16th in ISO among all qualified hitters since the start of the 2017 season, while keeping his strikeouts limited to a manageable 23.9% clip.

Though Hoskins would add another right-handed bat to a lineup that already features Morel, Seiya Suzuki, Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner on a regular basis, he would provide the club with an additional power bat that the club has lacked in recent years; no player has hit 30 home runs in a season for the Cubs since Kyle Schwarber (38) and Kris Bryant (31) did so back in 2019. Hoskins, by contrast, has hit 93 home runs across the three seasons of his career where he’s recorded at least 500 plate appearances, with a 34-homer campaign in 2018, 29 homers in 2019 and 30 in 2022. Given Chicago’s need for power and overall offensive production, both at first base and more generally, in the wake of Bellinger returning to the open market, it’s hardly a surprise that the club would be interested in Hoskins’s services.

While many clubs are already set at first base for 2023, the Cubs are far from the only feasible fit for Hoskins this winter. The Brewers are surely looking for an offensive upgrade after posting a 92 wRC+ as a team last year, and things were particularly brutal for the club at first in 2023; only the Astros and Rockies got less offensive production out of first base than Milwaukee, whose first baseman slashed just .237/.301/.381 with a wRC+ of 83. The Padres are another club that could look to add to their first base/DH mix this offseason, though the club’s payroll and infield are both bogged down by pricey contracts that could make it difficult to make room for Hoskins. The Mariners, Astros, and Angels could all also stand to upgrade at first base, though each has a plausible regular at the positional already in Ty France, Jose Abreu, and Nolan Schanuel.

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