Following the decision to let Bryce Harper be the club's new first baseman moving forward, the Philadelphia Phillies let it be known they would be moving on from one of their longest-tenured players on the roster.
Rhys Hoskins will be signing with another ball club during the offseason. The infielder has been mentioned as a target for the Chicago Cubs recently. Chicago needs a first baseman, with Patrick Wisdom listed as the only option, according to the depth chart on the team's official website.
Besides the Cubs, a new team has emerged as a possible destination for the first baseman.
Could the Seattle Mariners sign Hoskins this offseason?
The Seattle Mariners could give the Cubs competition this winter by signing Hoskins. According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, Seattle has shown interest in adding the 30-year-old first baseman to its roster. The former Phillie would provide a further boost for a ball club that ranked outside the top 10 in many categories on offense last year.
Mariners have shown interest in Rhys Hoskins, among other free-agent power hitters.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 16, 2023
Hoskins, 30, was born and raised in Northern California, so geography could help Seattle in this case. @MLBNetwork @MLB
Seattle, which is operating with not too much money to spend this offseason following changes with their regional sports network, only has between $20 and $25 million at their disposal. The Mariners had a few of their offensive players — Teoscar Hernández, Eugenio Suárez, Mike Ford, and Jarred Kelenic depart for free agency or via trade.
Besides Julio Rodríguez and Cal Raleigh, Seattle doesn't have many of their power hitters remaining from last season. Hernández ranked third on the club with 26 home runs and 93 RBI. Suárez finished fourth with 22 home runs and second with 96 RBI. Ford and Kelenic each were solid in secondary roles in these offensive categories.
Hoskins would make up for the losses of Hernández and Suárez to an extent. In 2022, the former Phillies first baseman finished second on the club with 30 home runs and third with 79 RBI. He also finished second with 81 runs scored and led them with 33 doubles.
Here is a clip of the power he would bring to the Mariners lineup.
Rhys Hoskins. 440 feet. Third straight first-inning home run.#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/UVUE44I6BF
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 6, 2022
Hoskins has ranked among the Phillies' top hitters in terms of home runs and RBI during his tenure with Philadelphia. Before the arrival of Harper and J.T. Realmuto in 2019, the California native had a breakout year offensively for the team in 2018.
During his second year in the majors, Hoskins led the Phillies with 34 homers, 96 RBI, and a .850 OPS. He finished second with 89 runs in 153 contests. With the Mariners, he could finish as a solid complement offensively to the duo of Rodríguez and Raleigh.
Hoskins is a proven player on offense with the ability to make a difference for a team in need of more power. The Phillies missed his presence last year following his season-ending ACL injury during a Spring Training contest in March. He'll find a new club this offseason and be eager to prove himself after a year out of the game.