Hoskins Adds But Doesn't Subtract
For weeks, Guardians fans have been agonizing over the fact that the only plus signing over the long winter was a reliever that used to play for the organization. A team that scored fewer runs than their opponents last year yet still went hair ablaze to the playoffs didn’t add to their offense until the second week of spring training. Even with the signing of 1B/DH Rhys Hoskins to a minor-league contract that would only pay him $1.5m if he makes the team, the lack of clarity in regards to the Guardians lineup is frustrating. ((Sorry, but unless your name *is* Fairchild, you can’t expect him to do anything of substance for the Guardians this season.))
Hoskins gets tossed into the Shadow Realm of 1B/DH types which already has overflow parking down on Euclid Ave. Kyle Manzardo figures to be the every day first baseman, building off his breakout campaign last year, where he was the second most productive bat in the lineup, hitting .234/.313/.455 and 27 dingers. David Fry is finally healthy after Tommy John surgery forced him to only DH in 2025 and has plans on doing his “every inning is a new position” thing again. CJ Kayfus is an intriguing option as a high-floor, lower-ceiling type: his major league 2025 was unspectacular but he did enough to warrant a longer look. So that’s three guys already on the roster for two spots, and those are just the guys that figure to play first or DH only, not counting the logjam in the outfield.
Hoskins represents someone who can be a good upgrade over what Guardians first basemen did against left handed pitchers last year. Manzardo had a gawdawful OPS and wRC+ versus LHP in 2025; a .671OPS and an 83 wRC+ in 95 plate appearances did feature five home runs, but that felt more random than the growth of something, considering the rest of the performance. As uninspiring as Manzardo was against lefties, Kayfus was worse, putting up .190/.227/.381 triple slashline in 22 plate appearances against southpaws.
The issue with adding Hoskins now is that he is redundant on a roster that doesn’t need any more redundancies. The only hitters that aren’t duplicated by some slightly-different-yet-mostly-the-same player are Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan, and maybe Chase DeLauter…if he’s healthy. Nolan Jones, George Valera, and Kayfus are all lefty hitters with high power upside but low-end hit tools. ((Jones is my favorite out of this bunch based off good batted ball data from last year, but that’s not saying much.)) Brayan Rocchio has been nails in the playoffs but struggled at times in the regular season, so much so that Gabriel Arias keeps banging doubles and oppo-taco dingers as a “maybe starter level” guy who shouldn’t be trusted. Guys like Daniel Schneemann, Angel Martinez, and Juan Brito hang around as multi-positional utility types, getting glove work at almost every position across the diamond.
Even Hoskins has his dopple already on the roster in Fry and well as Johnathan Rodriguez in the outfield mix: a right-handed bat that is capable of putting together good ABs against tough lefties but shouldn’t be ran out every day. ((Rodriguez is a NPB bat in the waiting, we are just playing out the stringer here with him.)) I’m happy the front office went out and tried to add someone that can swing it from the right side, but I’m holding off routing November parade paths until I see what the rest of the roster looks like. There needs to be more separation from these hitters before I’m able to see the forest through the trees, and a Hoskins addition doesn’t subtract enough from the glut of guys already hanging around the edges of the roster.
