The Phillies need to finally replace Rhys Hoskins in 2025.

PHILADELPHIA— Rhys Hoskins cemented his Phillies legacy with his three-run home run against Spencer Strider in Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS. A bat spike later, Hoskins’ had his moment in red pinstripes and will forever live in the lore of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Rhys was an integral part of the 2022 National League champions. His injury in 2023 prevented him from potentially helping lead the team back to the World Series. It also started a domino effect that led to Bryce Harper becoming the team’s starting first baseman.

After moving on from Hoskins in the 2024 off-season, the Phillies never filled his spot in the lineup. The team chose to take a different approach, adding Whit Merrifield and employing platoons in leftfield, centerfield, and second base for much of 2024. The Merrifield experiment didn’t work out and their pivot from Whit was to add Austin Hays at the Trade Deadline. It was another move that rang hollow for the organization.

The void of offense that opened after Rhys’ exit was never filled and that lack of scoring shined brightest in the post-season. Heading into the 2025 off-season, the Philadelphia Phillies front office should prioritize a right-handed bat to add to their lineup.

2022 vs 2024

If you compare the Phillies lineups between 2022 and 2024, they are largely the same.

JT Realmuto, Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, and Nick Castellanos all have remained the same. Jean Segura and Rhys Hoskins were the two parts of that 2022 iteration that the Phillies moved on from in 2023 and 2024.

Adding Trea Turner as the replacement for Jean Segura was a choice almost all organizations would have made. There is likely no regret in that decision and Turner has proven to be an upgrade despite how the fanbase may feel about his performance.

Hoskins’ part of the lineup has been made up of a revolving door of players. Johan Rojas has played the most games in the span, adding in Edmundo Sosa, Whit Merrifield, Weston Wilson, and Austin Hays.

The above table does not account for games in which multiple members of the listed players were in the same game. It also totals 18 homers across 325 combined games played, as opposed to the 26 home runs that Rhys hit in 131 games.

Hoskins also drove in 88 runs in his 131 games, against the 90 runs driven in the 325 games played by the Phillies platoon players.

Clearly, trying to replace his right-handed bat with multiple options did not work for the Phillies. Rhys was also coming off not playing for a season due to his 2023 ACL tear. I would expect his numbers to improve as he navigates a normal off-season in 2025.

Phillies Options

Aside from the players that are currently on the club’s roster, the Phillies could explore the trade market and free agency for a right-handed bat. With poor performances in the outfield last season, it would make the most sense for the club to find an outfielder to fill this void.

Free Agency

Tyler O’Neil of the Boston Red Sox, Teoscar Hernandez of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Anthony Santander of the Baltimore Orioles, and Jurickson Profar of the San Diego Padres, are all free-agent options that the Phillies could pursue. Of course, Juan Soto is in play for the Phillies, but he is in another stratosphere regarding Free Agency in 2025.

Teoscar Hernandez and Tyler O’Neill both make a lot of sense for the Phillies, as they are strictly right-handed hitters. Santander and Profar are switch hitters, which would provide Rob Thomson with more flexibility in his lineups. It depends on the price and how the organization sees fit.

The off-season has been slow out of the gate. This is standard in Major League Baseball and an area in which Rob Manfred should seek improvement (this is a discussion for another time). I believe that the rest of the players will follow suit once Juan Soto signs. Soto is going to reset the market for all players, but specifically outfielders as well.

Trade Market

Striking a deal with another team could potentially be the path the Phillies ultimately take this off-season.

Players like Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, and Brenton Doyle of the Colorado Rockies are players linked to the Phillies in one capacity or another.

Buxton and Trout have big contracts that their clubs may look to off-set. Robert Jr has an affordable deal the Phillies could add, but it would take them over the next luxury tax without shedding additional salary.

A player like Brenton Doyle is a cheaper option from the Colorado Rockies. He would be expensive in terms of the prospects the club would have to send back to Colorado. Doyle has won the Gold Glove award in both seasons in the Majors and hit .260 with an OPS of .764 in 2024.

Regardless of how the Phillies plan to attack the off-season, they need to improve their roster. Finding a replacement in the lineup to recreate Hoskins’ production from 2022 is going to be necessary if the team wants to return to form. Their offense will need a spark in 2025 and adding another bat can help light that very spark.

Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images