Rhys Hoskins’ decision may be keeping the Brewers from making a costly mistake

When the Milwaukee Brewers signed Rhys Hoskins, the hope was that he would a consistent source of power in the middle of their lineup on a relative bargain of a contract. Hoskins was coming off a successful stint with the Phillies that was cut short due to a knee injury and the deal allowed Milwaukee to avoid a long-term financial commitment while addressing their offense and Hoskins an opportunity to rebuild his value as one of the game's best sluggers.

Unfortunately, that isn't exactly how things went. Hoskins is highly regarded in the Brewers' clubhouse, but his actual production to the tune of a .214/.303/.419 line in 2024 with 26 homers left a lot to be desired. For many Brewers fans, the news that Hoskins was exercising his player option for 2025 was decidedly not welcome.

In a strange turn of events, Hoskins deciding to run it back with the Brewers may end up being a net positive even if he doesn't hit particularly well as, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Brewers would be aggressively pursuing Paul Goldschmidt right now if Hoskins had decided to leave.

Rhys Hoskins' exercising his option may help Brewers avoid Paul Goldschmidt, but Milwaukee still needs more from him

Milwaukee's interest in Goldschmidt this offseason is not new and there is still a chance they could try and pursue him this offseason as a 1B/DH option. The Brewers seem to relish the chance to take the former MVP away from the division rival Cardinals and use him to make St. Louis further regret their life choices.

The problem with this plan is that Goldschmidt may be washed up. There is no denying that he was one of the best hitters in baseball for years, but he is 37 years old and the .716 OPS he posted in 2024 was the lowest of his career by a substantial margin. A closer look at his advanced metrics shows a guy that can't adjust to pitchers changing speeds like he used to and pitchers aren't nearly as afraid of anymore.

Of course, Milwaukee being forced out of an ill-advised Goldschmidt mistake doesn't help all that much if Hoskins doesn't at least provide some value. After all, Goldschmidt still at least hits the ball hard when he does make contact and could theoretically be a valuable player again. If Hoskins can put together another .850ish OPS season again, the Brewers will be feeling great that Hoskins decided to opt in. If not, they'll just have to cross their fingers and hope that Goldschmidt's decline continues and they won't be left wondering what might have been.

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