Rhys Hoskins will be free to sign elsewhere when the Philadelphia Phillies decide to maintain Bryce Harper at first base for the foreseeable future.
The 31-year-old Harper played outfield during his first ten years of his career before switching to designated hitter for the majority of 2022 because of an elbow ligament tear.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in November 2022, the two-time National League MVP was expected to return to the Phillies as their full-time designated hitter. But an ACL tear kept Hoskins out of the 2023 season, and Harper ended up taking over at first base when he returned to play in May.
“I thought it was important that we listen to (Harper), he understood. He’s very happy to do it,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said of the position change. “I think he’ll meet the challenge and become an outstanding first baseman.”
In 126 games this season, Harper hit.293 with 21 home runs and 72 RBIs. Trea Turner will start at shortstop, Alec Bohm will start at third, Bryson Stott at second, and Harper at first for the Phillies.
Hoskins, 30, had been a member of the team since the Phillies selected him in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, making him the second-longest-tenured player on the squad. He played in 667 games over six years with Philadelphia, hitting.242 with 148 home runs and 405 RBIs.