The Philadelphia Phillies face an offseason of difficult decisions following the team's disappointing NLCS exit. It's clear the team, as currently constructed, can contend for a World Series. The question is, will it cost too much to bring back the key pieces entering free agency?
Aaron Nola is front of mind for most Philadelphia fans. He was an absolute ace in the postseason prior to his Game 6 meltdown. He has been a stabilizing force atop the Phillies' rotation in recent years, seldom missing starts and generally turning in favorable results.
Of course, next in line is first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who missed the entire 2023 campaign due to a torn ACL. Hoskins was an integral part of the Phillies' lineup during the 2022 season — .246/.332/.462 with 30 HR and 79 RBI — but Philadelphia managed just fine in his absence.
The reason it went so swimmingly without Hoskins? Bryce Harper's move to first base. Harper adjusted midseason, playing 49 regular season games at the corner and manning first base for Philadelphia's entire postseason run.
Harper's position change allowed Kyle Schwarber to move back to the DH slot, where Harper — on the backend of elbow surgery — previously resided. Now, however, Harper faces a difficult decision. Does he want to move back to the outfield, or is he comfortable at first?
His decision could determine Hoskins' future with the franchise.
Bryce Harper's position choice could inform Phillies' Rhys Hoskins decision
Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski told reports he plans to meet with Harper in the "next 7-10 days" to discuss which position he wants to play moving forward. As Yong Kim of the Philadelphia Inquirer subsequently notes, Harper's choice will inform the team's pursuit of Hoskins, who is bound to have a healthy market despite the injury concerns.
"I don't want to put it on Bryce," Dombrowski said. "That's something that we have to decide ourselves. We want his input because it's his career and all, and then, we just have to adjust from there."
Obviously, there is reticence in the front office to place Hoskins' future squarely on Harper's shoulders. Knowing his general disposition and commitment to teammates, one has to imagine Harper would do whatever it takes to bring Hoskins back, even if it meant playing a position he's less comfortable at. Harper was never flawless at first base, but it was a smooth transition overall and it does save his arm a lot of toil. It would be far from shocking if Harper, whether he states it publicly or not, wants to stick at the corner and forget the outfield.
There's no way around it if Harper does decide to plant his flag at first base. The Phillies don't have a DH slot for Hoskins without moving Schwarber back to left field, which was defensively catastrophic at various points last season. The lineup has plenty of power as is, so even if the team feels pressured to improve the back end of the lineup (Kim notes that Johan Rojas is no guarantee to start next season), Hoskins is expendable.
Hoskins has spent his entire MLB career in Philadelphia since his debut in 2017. In many ways, he is the original star of this Phillies era — he preceeded Harper, and Castellanos, and Schwarber, and Turner. It would be quite unfortunate for his Phillies career to end with a year of rehab. But, the MLB is a business, and the Phillies will have a difficult decision to make if Harper opts for first base.