The Rhys Hoskins era has officially come to a close in Milwaukee

The Milwaukee Brewers made one of their more notable free agent signings in recent history just over two years ago. Tired of a revolving door of first basemen, the Brewers splurged on longtime Philadelphia Phillie Rhys Hoskins when he became a free agent after a year of rehabbing from an ACL surgery. The Brewers handed Hoskins a two-year, $34 million contract, which made him the second-highest-paid player on the team behind only Christian Yelich.

2024 was a slightly underwhelming season for Hoskins' metrics. Despite popping 26 HR, Hoskins posted career lows in batting average and on-base percentage, and his lack of defensive value left him with -0.2 bWAR at season's end. As a result, Hoskins exercised his player option for the 2025 season and returned to be the Brewers' starting first baseman for one more season.

Hoskins got off to a very strong start in 2025, carrying an otherwise dormant Brewers' offense through the first two months of the season. The 32-year-old Hoskins posted an OPS of .860 in April and topped it with an .876 mark in May. With nine homers and 35 RBI through the first two months of the season, Hoskins was performing like the player the Brewers knew he could be when they signed him the offseason prior.

Unfortunately, after a tough month of June at the plate, Hoskins sprained his left thumb on a play at first base on July 5. He was placed on the IL and replaced at first base by Andrew Vaughn, who had one of the most impressive franchise introductions in Brewers' history. Vaughn's tear at the plate made playing time tough to come by for Hoskins down the stretch, and eventually the latter was left off the playoff roster.

Now, Hoskins' MLB is moving on to the AL Central, where he will join a Cleveland Guardians team that he could have a big impact on this summer. Hoskins, however, will have to prove his value this spring as he agreed to a minor league deal with Cleveland, which doesn't guarantee him a spot on the 40-man roster. The news was first reported by Zack Meisel of The Athletic on the social media platform X.

Former Brewer Rhys Hoskins inks minor league deal with Cleveland Guardians

At the beginning of the offseason, seemingly no one was expecting Hoskins not to land a major league deal, but the former Brewer lingered on the free agent market as the winter rolled into February. It seemed as if Hoskins was potentially holding out for a multi-year deal; after all, despite a few tough seasons in Milwaukee, the former breakout star in Philadelphia was still a 102 OPS+ hitter during his time in a Brewers uniform. However, it now appears that Hoskins was holding out for a major league deal.

Cleveland is a good fit for Hoskins, and Hoskins is a good fit for the Guardians for that matter. Hoskins has a good chance of making the Guardians' Opening Day roster, and if he can tap into the player that he was during the first two months of the 2025 season, he will offer some much-needed pop to Cleveland's lineup. On a minor league contract, which will pay Hoskins just $1.5 million if he makes the big league team, it's an excellent bet for the small market Guardians.

Hoskins had an unlucky, but by no means unsuccessful tenure in Milwaukee. He may not have quite lived up to his $34 million contract, but some of that can certainly be blamed on injuries, both the one Hoskins was recovering from when he arrived in Milwaukee and the one he suffered in early July of last year. At the end of the day, Hoskins was an excellent veteran leader on two young Brewers teams who won the NL Central in both of Hoskins' seasons in Milwaukee. Here's hoping he finds some success in Cleveland.