Hoskins' Projected Salary Could Be A Chicago Cubs Fit

Last offseason the Chicago Cubs took a chance on a player that had produced two awful seasons at the plate and it paid off in Cody Bellinger being named the NL Comeback Player of the Year.

Do the Cubs have another act of faith like that in them when it comes to free-agent first baseman Rhys Hoskins?

The former Philadelphia Phillies first baseman is on the market and unlikely to return to Philadelphia after the team handed his job to Bryce Harper.

The Cubs also have reported interest in bringing New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso to Chicago via trade. That might be their first choice. But it would be a costly one, especially when you consider that Alonso is looking for a top-dollar extension in his final year before free agency.

If the Cubs can’t land Alonso, Hoskins might be a good back-up option. He also might come at a reasonable cost, too.

The New York Post calculated what Hoskins might get earlier this week, and between their two experts and writer Jon Heyman, the all calculated that Hoskins could get $20 million per year, whether it’s a one, two- or three-year deal.

It similar to what the Cubs did with Bellinger. Chicago signed him to a two-year deal with a mutual option for the second year. The first year was a $17.5 million deal, with the option being for $12 million.

Bellinger opted out and is now a free agent, hoping to get a long-term deal.

Hoskins probably needs somewhere to prove himself in 2024 before he seeks that type of deal.

Hoskins is coming off a 2023 in which he made $12 million. So any of those deals represents a significant raise. But he missed all of last season with an ACL tear. He should be healthy and ready to go in 2024.

Whoever lands Hoskins gets a career .242 hitter who consistently hits anywhere from 20 to 30 home runs per season and is able to draw walks effectively. That includes an NL-high 116 walks in 2019. He has 148 career home runs, along with 405 RBI.

At $20 million, that’s a deal the Cubs might be willing to make for some risk/reward at first base.