It took until almost the last possible moment, but the Cleveland Guardians finally made a significant move to try to bolster their offense heading into the 2026 campaign. After failing to acquire an upgrade throughout the entire offseason, the Guardians wasted little time in spring training to sign a power hitter.
There are a few reasons Rhys Hoskins was still on the market at this late stage. But if he can recapture some of his previous form, the soon-to-be 33-year-old first baseman/DH may prove to be a shrewd move by Cleveland’s front office.
Analyst Adam “The Bull” Gerstenhaber recently revealed the reasons to be excited about Hoskins, which include his relatively low price.
“The guy, when he’s been healthy, has been a consistent source of power. He’s been a 25 home run hitter multiple times, and on a minor league contract? Brilliant move by the Guardians,” Gerstenhaber said.
Hoskins played last season for the Milwaukee Brewers. At the end of May, he had nine home runs and 35 RBIs, but he posted just a .532 OPS in June and then injured his thumb while making a tag in early July. He did not return until September and played just 10 more games coming off the bench.
The year before, he had shown that he had fully recovered from a torn ACL suffered with the Philadelphia Phillies. In his first season with Milwaukee, he hit 26 home runs, which was the fifth time he had that many in eight MLB seasons, with a high of 34 in 2018.
Cleveland can certainly use that type of power after ranking third from the bottom in runs scored last year. Despite that, it was able to win the AL Central for a second straight season.
The Guardians refrained from any big moves this offseason with the belief that several of their top prospects would provide the offensive boost that was necessary. Chase DeLauter, Travis Bazzana, George Valera, and CJ Kayfus are all in line for bigger roles this season, and returning first baseman Kyle Manzardo is expected to improve as well.
However, if he falls off, and Hoskins still has something left, the Guardians have a backup plan or potential platoon that could pay off in a big way.
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