Brewers Decline Mutual Option, Making Rhys Hoskins A Free Agent

[Jason Wang]

Signing Rhys Hoskins was a big deal for the Brewers back in 2024. Milwaukee is typically very conservative in the free-agent market, but several circumstances made it possible. First, they had a desperate need for a first baseman after another unproductive season from Rowdy Tellez. Second, Hoskins had missed all of 2023 due to an ACL tear he suffered in spring training, so while he may have ordinarily been seeking a longer-term deal, the rest of the league needed to see what he could do after such a long layoff and serious injury. This paved the way for an affordable two-year deal worth $34 million, with an $18 million mutual option afterward.

Mutual options are rarely ever exercised, but, unsurprisingly, the Brewers were quick to decline their end of the bargain. Hoskins was lukewarm at best, posting a 102 OPS+ over 845 plate appearances and accumulating just 0.7 total rWAR with the team. It was a considerable step back from his production in Philadelphia and, when combined with recurring stints on the injured list, necessitated other options at first base, such as Jake Bauers. One of the players brought in this year to fill a gap left by Hoskins was the prodigious Andrew Vaughn, who the Brewers have under team control for a few more years. He played exceptionally well and is likely slated to be a significant part of the team's future at the position.

Still, Milwaukee could be in the market for more depth at first base, especially since we've yet to see a full season of work from Andrew Vaughn, and whether his resurgence was the result of actual mechanical adjustments or just smoke and mirrors. Nonetheless, history suggests that Hoskins won't be worth the money he's owed, and it's probably better to use the roster spot and extra money elsewhere.

Hoskins is one of three Brewers with mutual options that have been declined, and it seems like Milwaukee will have a very different roster heading into next year.  

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[Team Canada]

4 hours ago, Jason Wang said:

Hoskins is one of three Brewers with mutual options that have been declined, and it seems like Milwaukee will have a very different roster heading into next year.  

I'm not following the leap here: They decline 3 options and their roster will be "very different"? I would say the opposite: their roster could look very similar minus perhaps some typical bullpen shuffle to what we ended the year with.

[Jason Wang]

1 hour ago, Team Canada said:

I'm not following the leap here: They decline 3 options and their roster will be "very different"? I would say the opposite: their roster could look very similar minus perhaps some typical bullpen shuffle to what we ended the year with.

Ehhh, I guess it depends on how you define "very different." Jansen, Hoskins, and Quintana are minor losses, but Woodruff is a free agent (although perhaps it's not as different since injuries have limited his playing time over the past few years). The core pieces will stick around and they'll be some moves on the margins but you're right, I don't think Milwaukee will lose any crucial pieces (unless Peralta gets traded).

[liveforoctober]

8 hours ago, Jason Wang said:

Ehhh, I guess it depends on how you define "very different." Jansen, Hoskins, and Quintana are minor losses, but Woodruff is a free agent (although perhaps it's not as different since injuries have limited his playing time over the past few years). The core pieces will stick around and they'll be some moves on the margins but you're right, I don't think Milwaukee will lose any crucial pieces (unless Peralta gets traded).

There is a very good chance the Brewers roster looks the exact same next year. Contreras/Haase, Vaughn/Bauers, Peralta/Priester/Miz/Henderson/Myers/Gasser, etc

I'm certain there will be a surprise somewhere and the bullpen will be re-armed but of any season that I've ever known in my lifetime, this is the most "just transfer this year's team to next year" roster we have ever had.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

Hopefully Joey Ortiz is "transferred" to somewhere else.

[kestrel79]

I'm sure he can put up good numbers elsewhere. He was pretty hot for us before getting hurt this past season early on. But yeah he clearly didn't seem in the teams future when he barely played down the stretch.