A Philadelphia Phillies reunion with fan favorite Rhys Hoskins would have been a match made in heaven. However, that dream now has been officially dashed as Hoskins signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, as reported by Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. He'll make a base salary of $1.5 million if he makes the Guardians' Opening Day roster.
But it wasn’t as if there wasn’t any mutual interest between the Phillies clubhouse and Hoskins. In particular, superstar Bryce Harper actually vouched for getting the 32-year-old slugger back. At the same time, Hoskins was welcoming the opportunity to have a run at the World Series with his old buddies once again. But Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski stubbornly shut down a potential reunion, ultimately leading to the slugger signing with the Guardians.
Guardians sign Rhys Hoskins after Phillies pass on reuniting with free agent slugger
It was quite surprising that Dombrowski wouldn’t consider bringing back the former fan favorite and franchise icon. After all, Hoskins was one of the Phillies' main offensive catalysts during his time with the ballclub.
In 667 career games, he batted .242 with an .846 OPS, 392 runs scored, 149 doubles, 148 home runs and 405 RBIs. More importantly, Hoskins played a role in helping the Phillies return to prominence by starting their current four-year postseason streak in 2022.
However, things haven’t been as rosy for the 32-year-old first baseman since leaving Philadelphia, including posting one of his least productive seasons in 2025 with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 90 games, Hoskins compiled a .237 average and .748 OPS, with 30 runs scored, 12 doubles, 12 home runs and 43 RBIs while striking out at a 27.7 percent rate. To make matters worse, he suffered a right thumb injury that kept him out two months.
When he did eventually make his return in September, his role on the team had been drastically reduced as he was overtaken by Andrew Vaughn. In fact, Hoskins saw only 10 plate appearances down the stretch, recording only one hit, one RBI, and six strikeouts. As a result, it wasn’t surprising that he was left off the Brewers’ postseason roster and had his mutual option declined by the club, making him a free agent.
In joining the Guardians, Hoskins will be aiming to get his MLB career back on track while putting his forgettable 2025 campaign behind him. But as for the Phillies, fans are likely dumbfounded that Philadelphia couldn’t even offer up a value minor league pact, like Cleveland, to give the former fan favorite another chance at glory. Nevertheless, the Phillies better hope that the turned-down opportunity for the taking doesn’t come back to haunt them down the road.