A fan favorite, and the Philadelphia Phillies would have been a match made in heaven. However, according to MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins, Hoskins signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, essentially ending that fantasy. If he makes the Guardians’ Opening Day roster, his base salary will be $1.5 million.
However, it wasn’t as though Hoskins and the Phillies clubhouse didn’t have something in common. Superstar Bryce Harper specifically supported the return of the 32-year-old slugger. in the same time, Hoskins was excited about the chance to race with his old friends in the World Series once more. The slugger eventually signed with the Guardians after Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski obstinately blocked a possible reunion.
Guardians sign Rhys Hoskins after Phillies pass on reuniting with free agent slugger
That Dombrowski wouldn’t think about bringing back the previous franchise symbol and fan favorite was really shocking. After all, throughout his tenure with the Phillies, Hoskins was a key offensive catalyst.
With a.846 OPS, 392 runs scored, 149 doubles, 148 home runs, and 405 RBIs, he batted.242 in 667 career games. More significantly, by initiating the Phillies’ current four-year postseason run in 2022, Hoskins contributed to the team’s comeback to prominence.
But since leaving Philadelphia, the 32-year-old first baseman’s life hasn’t been all sunshine and roses. In 2025, he had one of his worst seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. With 30 runs scored, 12 doubles, 12 home runs, and 43 RBIs in 90 games, Hoskins recorded a.237 average and.748 OPS while striking out at a rate of 27.7%. To exacerbate the situation, he was sidelined for two months due to an injury to his right thumb.
His contribution to the squad had been much diminished when he finally returned in September, as Andrew Vaughn had surpassed him. In actuality, Hoskins only made 10 plate appearances in the final stretch, recording six strikeouts, one hit, and one RBI. It was therefore not shocking that he was left off the Brewers’ postseason roster and that the team rejected his mutual option, leaving him a free agent.
Hoskins will be joining the Guardians in an attempt to get past his disappointing 2025 campaign and resume his MLB career. Fans are probably shocked that the Phillies couldn’t even offer a good minor league deal, like Cleveland, to give the former fan favorite another chance at success. However, the Phillies should hope that the missed opportunity doesn’t come back to bother them in the future.
