5 recent Phillies players Philadelphia fans wish they could have back for 2025

Which former Phillies could really help out for the upcoming 2025 season?

Former Philadelphia Phillies Rhys Hoskins and Zach Eflin
Former Philadelphia Phillies Rhys Hoskins and Zach Eflin | Eric Espada/GettyImages
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Matt Moore 

Matt Moore has had quite the roller coaster of a career in the majors thus far. After starting out as one of the top arms in the Rays rotation over the past decade, elbow injury woes and Tommy John surgery ultimately deprived him of his effectiveness as a starter in subsequent seasons. 

Despite that, the Phillies took a flyer on the left-hander by signing him to a one-year deal for 2021 following a strong showing with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professsional Baseball in 2020. However, Moore struggled with injuries and inconsistency during his short tenure with the club that season, posting a 6.29 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in 24 games that included 13 starts. 

But since then, Moore has effectively reinvented himself as an elite reliever in the league, recording a sub-2.60 ERA and sub-1.18 WHIP in both his 2022 and 2023 campaigns. As a result, he became one of the toughest lefty relievers in all of baseball in the process. Despite showing some regression in his numbers in 2024, the bulk of it likely had to do with playing for the underachieving Angels, who struggled to a 63-99 record while giving up the third most runs in the league with 797 last year.

With Matt Strahm, José Alvarado and Tanner Banks as the only lefties in the Phillies relief corps for 2025, Moore could be a valuable addition with his veteran 13-year MLB experience. The second go-around could give him a chance for redemption after a less-than-stellar first tenure with the club.

Rhys Hoskins

As one of the most popular Phillies players in recent memory, Rhys Hoskins had been the heart and soul of the club across six MLB seasons. Having lacked a true star power hitter in the lineup since the prime Ryan Howard days, Hoskins quickly became the face of the Phillies’ offensive attack prior to the arrival of Bryce Harper and company. 

In Hoskins’ tenure with the Phillies, he compiled an .846 OPS with 392 runs scored, 148 home runs and 405 RBI in 668 games. More importantly, he showed that he could provide a huge impact in the postseason when he had a big series against the San Diego Padres in 2022. Hoskins recorded four home runs and seven RBI in just five games during the NLCS showdown that year.

However, a freak knee injury during spring training in 2023 ultimately ended Hoskins’ season and eventually his tenure with Philadelphia. Known also to be a clutch hitter during his time with the Phillies, Philadelphia could definitely use someone like Hoskins in the lineup to help deliver in key situations. One thing is for sure is that his offensive prowess would have come in handy when the Phillies’ bats came up way short during their 2024 NLDS series against the Mets last season. As a result, Phillies fans would more than welcome back their popular favorite to help lead the team to success.

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