Phillies Slugger Linked To Red Sox As Possible Surprise Addition This Offseason
The Boston Red Sox could use another right-handed bat in the middle of the lineup.
Boston had Justin Turner in 2023 and he certainly was impressive, but he will likely be playing elsewhere next season. He opted out of his contract with the Red Sox and it sounds like Boston will be moving in another direction.
The Red Sox have money to spend and need to improve the roster this offseason and one intriguing player who has been floated as an option is Philadelphia Phillies slugger Rhys Hoskins, according to MassLive.com's Christopher Smith.
"In ‘22, (Hoskins) was in the 75th percentile or higher in expected weighted on-base percentage (338), expected slugging percentage (.445), average exit velocity (90.1 mph), barrel percentage (11.1%), hard hit percentage (44.3%), sweet spot percentage (37.3%), chase percentage (23.2%) and walk rate, per Baseball Savant," Smith said. "Does Hoskins make sense for the Red Sox? Yes. Hoskins could serve as the DH while also playing some occasional first base against left-handed starters. Basically, he could do something similar to what Justin Turner did for Boston in 2023."
Hoskins is just 30 years old and although he missed the 2023 campaign, could still be a very solid option. He could provide a solid right-handed bat in the middle of the lineup and see time at designated hitter as well as in left field. He has clubbed at least 27 home runs and driven in at least 71 runs in each of his last four full seasons -- excluding the 2020 shortened campaign. If he can return to that level of play, he could be exactly what Boston needs. Plus, because he is coming off of the injury, he likely won't be very expensive which could then free up some money to spend on the starting rotation.
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