Rhys Hoskins Joins Guardians With Chip on His Shoulder
· Yahoo Sports
After months of begging from fans for the Cleveland Guardians to make any sort of move following a third American League Central title in the last four years, the organization finally made a free-agent "splash" by their standards.
The Guardians signed 32-year-old Rhys Hoskins to a Minor League contract for the 2026 season, which will become a $1.5 million deal if he makes the Opening Day roster.
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Hoskins has unfinished business to settle, in a way, by joining the Guardians.
Yes, his former team, the Milwaukee Brewers, may have reached the postseason, but the veteran lost his role after a stint on the injured list and Andrew Vaughn's emergence.
By coming to Cleveland, Hoskins is out to prove that he can still be one of baseball's better hitters, despite how last year played out.
“Obviously Vaughn was able to do what he was doing. We were winning a ton of games, so I understood. I didn't like it, but I understood where the Brewers were coming from. But I still think I can be a productive everyday player in this league, and that's what I'll set out to do," said Hoskins in an interview with MLB.com.
Hoskins didn't have a bad season. He had a .237/.332/.416 slash line, including 12 home runs and 12 doubles in 90 games, coming out to an OPS+ of 108.
The veteran still has some juice left in the tank, and to show everyone that he can still make an impact on a winning team. The Guardians are the perfect team for him to do that.
Hoskins needed an opportunity to prove his value, and Cleveland needed another right-handed bat who mashes lefties, making this a near-perfect partnership.
Assuming Hoskins makes the Opening Day roster, the veteran will certainly be in the starting lineup against lefties, and could even be an above-average bat against righties.
If Hoskins does just that, the Guardians should put themselves in a good spot to take another division title and get back to the postseason, and that's exactly what he wants to do.
“[I’m] trying to come in here and find a way to make an impact and make this team and help these guys win.”
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