What Rhys Hoskins and Rumored Moves Could Mean for the Brewers

We are a week away from being able to say, “The Brewers play this month,” and like most teams' fan bases, we’ve waited and wondered why the hot stove wasn’t hot. It seemed like ages ago that the Brewers made a significant addition. The last player added to the roster was Bryan Hudson, in a trade with the Dodgers, and that happened earlier this month.

Then, in a report seemingly from out of nowhere, Robert Murray reported the Brewers were “seriously interested” in left-handed hurler and former closer Aroldis Chapman. Monday night, we found out he was signing with the Pirates, instead.

Before we knew what the Brewers were doing, the team pulled that January magic out of their pocket and signed a big-name free agent Tuesday night. Jeff Passan broke the news of the Crew signing first baseman Rhys Hoskins to a two-year, $34-million deal, with an opt-out after this season.

The Brewers may have not landed a seven-time All-Star closer to their pen, but they did upgrade at first base with a former Philadelphia Phillie. For the first time this offseason, the Crew has shown their cards for what they plan on doing for the 2024 season. What do these recent interests and signings mean? Let’s dive in and assess the damage.

The Brewers Mean Business
For many months, in article after article, we speculated about what the Brewers were going to look like at the start of the season. The Corbin Burnes and Willy Adames trade rumors were louder than ever, the Brewers parted ways with Brandon Woodruff, and Craig Counsell left for the Chicago Cubs.

Will the Brewers rebuild? Will the Brewers retool? Will the Brewers compete? Mark Attanasio and Matt Arnold both stated the team were going to stay competitive this year. After the Hoskins signing, it’s safe to say they lived up to their promise.

In the past, Attanasio has assured the fan base the team is willing to spend money (within reason) if the player will make the team better. Examples of these efforts include Yasmani Grandal, Andrew McCutchen, Aramis Ramírez, and Lorenzo Cain. They did it again with yesterday’s transaction.

It’s still a mystery how much the team is willing to spend this year. It is worth noting, though, that prior to yesterday, the active payroll was projected at $105 million, according to FanGraphs. That is $20 million less than the 2023 payroll ($125.3 million). While the details of Hoskins’s contract are still not fully clear, his average salary is $17 million and he should get no more than that for the first year.

Hoskins will more than likely be the regular first baseman for the 2024 season. With his addition, the 40-man roster is filled. Jake Bauers, who was originally slated for the position, will try to compete for a roster spot this spring as a potential backup option at first.

Left-Handed Pitching
Of the 21 pitchers on the 40 man roster, only six of them are lefties. Wade Miley slots in as the team's likely third starter. Hoby Milner will return to the bullpen. But what about the other four?

Ethan Small and Clayton Andrews had their opportunities to break onto the roster, but have struggled in every outing. Newly acquired Hudson just broke into the big leagues last year, only pitching in six games. Then there’s Aaron Ashby, who missed all of 2023 with a shoulder injury. While his role with the organization is still to be determined, there is still a lack of experience in bullpen southpaws.

This is probably the logical reason Chapman was on the Brewers radar: to add surety from the left side to an elite bullpen. The Brewers already led baseball with a 3.71 ERA from their relievers. Bryse Wilson, Elvis Peguero and Joel Payamps were all bright spots in last year’s group, in addition to relief ace Devin Williams. We can only imagine how dominant that unit would’ve been with Chapman as the eighth-inning set-up man.

There are still plenty of southpaws on the open market to make the pen better. Wandy Peralta, Brad Hand, and Scott Alexander all are still looking for jobs. With three weeks left until pitchers and catchers report, the Brewers are running out of time to add an arm. The team will have to make room on their 40-man roster should they add any more players, anyway.

Now What?

It’s pretty clear, for now, that the Brewers will keep the expiring contracts of Adames and Burnes, at least for the start of the season. We can reassess the situation in July, near the trade deadline.

As previously stated, the payroll will stand somewhere in the $120 million range. If you were looking for a third-base upgrade, you can probably rule out the potential addition of Matt Chapman. You could also probably rule out Justin Turner.

Gio Urshela or a Mike Moustakas reunion could still happen, and would be affordable options for the team. There aren't a lot of options on the trade market for the hot corner. They could try for Issac Paredes from the Rays, but the asking price could be pretty steep.

The Crew might be fine with Andruw Monasterio at third, with Tyler Black looking to make his debut at some point in 2024. The two would be a decent platoon, should they decide to go in that direction. However, Black doesn’t have a strong arm for a third baseman, so a switch to second base may be what the Brewers look at.

Don’t rule out the additions of either Carlos Santana or Garrett Cooper. The team has had discussions with both of these players on a potential contract at some point this month. While the Brewers may have found a first baseman, Hoskins defense isn’t exactly the greatest. He added 3 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) at first base back in 2022, but over the two previous campaigns, that figure was -12 DRS. The Crew could bring back Santana, who was a Gold Glove vote-getter last season, and use Hoskins as a DH in some lineups.

Whatever they decide to do moving forward, there is one thing for certain: The Brewers are ready to compete for a division title and are looking to build a team for the 2024 season that can build on that goal. Beyond 2024, there will be plenty of questions that need to be answered. But for now, it is a great time to be a Wisconsin sports fan.

What are your thoughts on the Hoskins signing? Will the team add anyone else prior to Spring Training? What free agents would you like to see in Milwaukee? Let us know in the comments.