The Milwaukee Brewers made a big splash in free agency when they signed first baseman Rhys Hoskins. The right-handed slugger missed all of 2023 with a torn ACL, but .246/.332/.462 with 30 home runs and 79 RBI when he last played in 2022. Had the Phillies not moved two-time National League MVP Bryce Harper to first base.
Hoskins’ addition to the team is going to a big boost to a Brewers offense that has struggled to produce in the postseason. His two-year $34 million contract (with a player option for 2025) was a big deal for the penny-pinching Brewers, but also gives Hoskins the chance to play in a hitters’ ballpark and, hopefully for him, put up big numbers that could lead to a bigger contract down the road.
Pitching Is the Biggest Question for the Milwaukee Brewers
With the addition of Hoskins, the Brewers’ offense is looking to be more potent than it has over the last few seasons. While Rowdy Tellez had 35 home runs in 2022, the last few seasons of Daniel Vogelbach and Tellez manning first have left much to be desired at the plate.
Starting pitching, however, is a major question mark for this year’s Brewers, which is not something anyone could have said at any point over the last six season. Corbin Burnes was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for infielder Joey Ortiz and left-handed pitcher DL Hall. Brandon Woodruff was non-tendered after a shoulder injury cost him most of 2023 and will cost him most, if not all, of 2024.
Now, Milwaukee’s staff is headlined by Freddy Peralta, who will be the staff ace going forward. Wade Miley is back on a new contract and is slotted to be the team’s second starter. After that, Colin Rea, Aaron Ashby, and a handful of young pitchers will compete for the final rotation spots.
Rhys Hoskins Reveals that He Was Bummed by the Milwaukee Brewers Trading Corbin Burnes
Of course, the Brewers have known that they would not have Woodruff playing for them in 2024. After all, they non-tendered him earlier this winter. While he may return down the road as a free agent signing, he almost certainly will not pitch for anyone this season, barring a remarkable recovery.
The Burnes trade did not come as a surprise either, as Milwaukee has been shopping him all offseason. When Hoskins signed with the Brewers, Burnes was still on the team; but even he knew that a trade was probably coming. Still, that did not keep him from feeling bummed out by it:
Rhys Hoskins said from the Philly dugout the Brewers were always viewed as a successful and gritty team: pic.twitter.com/Ubux6AW26x
— Todd Rosiak (@Todd_Rosiak) February 17, 2024
“I mean, obviously, any time you lose the bonified ace in this game, you’re bummed. You’re disappointed.
“But, everyone within the organization was upfront. I was surprised that it was happening, but I was aware that things were going on. And again, it is what this organization has done over the years. It’s not anything new for them. And it’s hard to argue with the results that it’s produced for them.
“But yeah, definitely a bummer because, you know, there is only one Corbin Burnes in the game and he is really, really good. But obviously it’s a chance for some of the younger guys to step up and they’ve had success with that in the past.”
Some of the young arms that the Brewers have coming up include Hall, Jacob Misiorowski, and Robert Gasser. Of those three pitchers, Hall and Gasser were acquired by Milwaukee in trades for star pitchers that were/are coming up on hitting free agency (Gasser was acquired in the Josh Hader trade).
To Hoskins’ point, it is nothing new for the Brewers. If anything, it almost more surprising that they also have not traded short stop Willy Adames.
That being said, every decision general manager Matt Arnold has made this offseason was made to help the Brewers be competitive both this year and in the future. Hoskins himself was part of that process.
We’ll see how it goes.
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