The defending National League champion Philadelphia Phillies were dealt a major blow during Spring Training with about a week to go before Opening Day.
Star first baseman Rhys Hoskins suffered a torn ACL in a meaningless Spring Training game on Thursday, potentially leading to Phillies general manager Sam Fuld having to scramble to find a replacement. Obviously, Hoskins will undergo surgery and is lost for the entire 2023 MLB season.
It’s going to be hard for Philadelphia to find a player of Hoskins caliber at this stage in the spring.
- Rhys Hoskins stats (2022): .246 average, 30 HR, 72 RBI, .794 OPS
While the 30-year-old Hoskins has never hit for a high average or OPS, he has the power Philadelphia relies on in the middle of its lineup. Below, we look at three Phillies first base options to replace Hoskins in 2023.
Related: How the best trade of last summer that nobody remembers might alter course of NL Central
Philadelphia Phillies sign free agent Miguel Sano
Sano, 29, just recently held a workout in front of MLB teams after the Minnesota Twins declined the 2023 option on his deal. He’s now looking to latch on with another team after spending 12 seasons in the Twins’ organization.
Like Hoskins, Sano has not hit for a good average throughout his career. But he has displayed a ton of power. From 2015-21, Sano averaged 23 homers. That included the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. Back in 2021, he hit a career-high 30 homers while driving in 75 runs. Sano would likely come on a minors deal.
Related: Philadelphia Phillies standing in Sportsnaut’s MLB power rankings
Alec Bohm moves across the diamond
There is a scenario in play where the Phillies could just remain in-house. That would include moving current third baseman Alec Bohm to first while starting utility man Josh Harrison at the hot corner.
Bohm, 26, hit a solid .280 with 13 homers and 72 RBI in 2022. He also posted a decent .713 OPS. However, this possibility would create a major problem at third base. Brought over from the Chicago White Sox this winter, Harrison has not hit more than eight homers in a single season since 2018. He drove in a mere 27 runs in 425 plate appearances for Chicago last season.
Related: 2023 MLB Playoff and World Series predictions
Philadelphia Phillies pull off trade for veteran first baseman
There are a few legitimate options on the MLB trade block. A number of teams head into Opening Day without a real possibility of contention and could be willing to sell off veteran bats.
The Oakland Athletics come to mind first after the small-market team held another firesale this winter. Seth Brown, 30, could make sense. He’s coming off a career-best 2022 season in which the veteran hit 25 homers and drove in 73 runs. Brown also posted a solid .749 OPS.
Another option could be Boston Red Sox reserve Bobby Dalbec who is coming off a disastrous 2022 season in which he hit just .215 with a .652 OPS. Dalbec has fallen out of favor in Boston. Though, he is also one season removed from belting 25 homers with 78 RBI. Like Brown, he would probably come pretty cheap from a compensation standpoint.
Ji Man Choi (Pittsburgh Pirates), Christian Walker (Arizona Diamondbacks) and Garrett Cooper (Miami Marlins) are three other names that come to mind as possibilities for the Philadelphia Phillies.