The Phillies have a decision to make on Rhys Hoskins.
With an ACL tear in spring training costing him his entire 2023 season — his final of arbitration — the veteran first baseman may have played his last game for Philadelphia; Hoskins, 30, can hit free agency this offseason for the first time.
The Phillies will have the opportunity to extend a qualifying offer to Hoskins if they chose to do so, which would bring him back on a one-year basis for roughly $20.5 million. But if the right-handed hitter declined the potential offer, the team would receive draft compensation — a pick following the fourth round in the Phillies’ case — if another team signed him.
There are certainly reasons the Phillies could be hesitant to make the qualifying offer to Hoskins this offseason. The one-year price tag is fairly steep for a player who just missed an entire season, especially one who is positionally limited like Hoskins. He’s a lackluster defensive first baseman as it is, and coming off his injury may require some additional time at DH. On a team with a number of first base and corner-outfield types, the fit for Hoskins going forward may be a bit clunky.
On the flip side, Hoskins’ value as a hitter was noticeably absent in the Phillies’ National League Championship Series loss to Arizona as they chased and chased again on pitches out of the zone, the offense going silent in Games 6 and 7 at home. With an .846 OPS and 148 home runs since his debut at the end of 2017, Hoskins has been a steady presence in Philadelphia with a power and on-base combination that’s been reliable in the middle or top of the order.
A poor runner and defender, a streaky hitter and a tough fit with the rest of the Phillies roster, Hoskins was a flawed player even before the ACL tear. But he is a valuable bat with cache in the clubhouse and city of Philadelphia.
Bryce Harper assumed the first base position down the stretch this year as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, and it’s still yet to be determined where he’ll play in the field in 2024. But if Harper is able and willing to return to the outfield, a qualifying offer for Hoskins could make sense for both the team and the player.
It’s unlikely the Phillies could get Hoskins for much cheaper than $20.5 million if they don’t give him the QO; he’d probably be able to beat that number for one year from another team if he doesn’t have the draft compensation attached to his next deal. Additionally, if Hoskins prefers a multi-year deal, the Phillies could make the QO and get draft compensation if he signs elsewhere.
What seems like the best outcome for both sides, however, is that the Phillies extend the QO and Hoskins accepts it, allowing the Phillies to return an important member of their lineup and allowing Hoskins to hit the market again after attempting to bounce back from injury.
In this unique circumstance, the QO seems to benefit all parties, giving Hoskins and the Phillies a chance to take care of some unfinished business and potentially go out on a better note if he does eventually leave.
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