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Rhys Hoskins of the Milwaukee Brewers
The Cleveland Guardians are reportedly bringing in first baseman Rhys Hoskins. The move has not been made official yet by the club, but Guardians’ reporter for MLB.com, Tim Stebbins, reports that Hoskins is in the Guardians clubhouse and has a locker.
Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports that it’s a minor league deal for the former Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers slugger, but he can earn $1.5 million if he breaks camp with the club.  Rhys Hoskins’ free agency trail had been kinda quiet for the majority of the offseason, and it’s a little surprising that Cleveland is the team to ultimately land them, as the Guardians aren’t usually a time that makes a semi-high-profile signing like this.
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Guardians Signing Rhys Hoskins
Rhys Hoskins is a 32-year-old first baseman with 186 career home runs, and is a good addition for a Cleveland team that could use a little more offense.
2025, limited Hoskins to just 90 games, but he still hit 12 home runs with an OPS+ of 108 in 279 at-bats. Hoskins has five seasons with 25+ home runs, including 34 with the Phillies in 2018, and then another 30-homer season in 2022.
However, Hoskins missed all of 2023 due to injury, and then, despite hitting 26 home runs in 2024, Hoskins still posted a -bWAR.
GettyMilwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins
Hoskins signed a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers after spending the first six years of his career with the Phillies. Hoskins will be remembered in a Phillies uniform for a few memorable home runs when Philadelphia advanced to the World Series in 2022.
Cleveland has Kyle Manzardo and CJ Kayfus as first base options, but if Hoskins is healthy, the Guardians might want to implement him as the designated hitter.
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What Does This Signing Mean for Guardians?
The Cleveland Guardians are already favorites to win the AL Central, even without making any notable signings, but bringing in another power threat like Rhys Hoskins could give the team an added layer on offense.
Jose Ramirez will lead the charge for the Guardians, but Cleveland has a number of solid supplemental players surrounding Ramirez. Kyle Manzardo is expected to make a jump in developing this season and may be a 30-home run threat.
Steven Kwan is also a solid hitter, and Nolan Jones and Bo Naylor might also be due to leap with the bat.
Pair all of that with a solid pitching staff and great coaching, the Guardians will certainly be there in the end for another division title.
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