Rhys Hoskins Reveals What Swayed Him to Brewers in Free Agency
Newly-signed free agent 1B/DH Rhys Hoskins has revealed the reason that swayed him to join the Milwaukee Brewers in free agency.
Milwaukee Brewers added another dangerous bat to the lineup last week when they signed Rhys Hoskins to a two-year, $34 million deal. After a nearly full week with his new team, the veteran slugger has finally revealed what led to him signing with the Brew Crew.
In a Zoom interview with reporters on Monday, Hoskins mentioned that he signed with the Brewers because he "wanted a chance to win" a World Series. That's high praise from a player who just played in the World Series just over a year ago.
Rhys Hoskins on what he was looking for in his free agency: "I wanted a chance to win."
— Curt Hogg (@CyrtHogg) January 29, 2024
Brewers News: Hoskins Wants to Win in Milwaukee
The compliments for the Brewers didn't stop there. Even though the MLB offseason is nearing February, the 30-year-old first baseman/designated hitter added that Milwaukee was on his destination list since free agency opened and that it "always was a good fit on paper."
Time will tell if Hoskins and the Brewers truly are a good match. The team needed a fill-in at the DH spot after Rowdy Tellez left for the Pittsburgh Pirates over the offseason. Considering how Hoskins has hit at least 27 home runs in four of his last five seasons, it isn't hard to see why fans might not end up missing Tellez that much.
At the same time, it remains to be seen if Hoskins looks like his old self once the 2024 MLB season opens. The Sacramento, CA native missed the entire 2023 campaign after tearing his ACL during a spring training game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Detroit Tigers.
Fortunately, Hoskins won't face any restrictions this spring, so hopefully any health issues are in the rearview and he can return to form this season. He most recently recorded 30 HRs and 79 RBIs while slashing .246/.332/.462 across 156 games with the Phillies in 2022.
If Hoskins is still a 25-30 HR-hitter, he could be the missing piece that the Brewers have been looking for. Although Milwaukee has qualified for five of the last six postseasons, the club hasn't made it to the National League Championship Series since 2018 and was just swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the latest Wild Card Round.
But even with Hoskins on the roster, Milwaukee faces an uphill battle next season. As January ends, the Brewers only have the 19th-best odds to win the 2024 World Series, per FanDuel Sportsbook.