January 26 : The relays the full contract breakdown. Hoskins will make $12MM this year and will be slated for a salary of $18MM in 2025. If he decides to opt out after 2024, he will get a $4MM buyout. The mutual option for 2026 is valued at $18MM and theres a $4MM buyout on that as well. January 23 : The Brewers announced they have signed free agent first baseman to a two-year deal with an opt-out after 2024 and a mutual option for 2026. It isreportedly a $34MM guarantee for the client of the Boras Corporation. Hoskins takes a modified pillow contract after mi sing the entire 2023 season. At the tail end of Spring Training, he tore the ACL in his left knee while retreating to the outfield gra s to field a chopper. While Michael Porter Jr. Jersey he was able to take batting practice by the end of the season, he never quite made it back to the roster. Philadelphia suggested Hoskins may have been activated from the injured list had they advanced to the World Series. With the Phils coming up a game short of the Fall Cla sic, the ACL tear marked an unfortunate end to a productive tenure at Citizens Bank Park. Hoskins seemed a potential candidate for the qualifying offer at the beginning of the offseason. The Phils opted against the QO, declaring they were moving to first base permanently. That made clear Hoskins was headed elsewhere after nearly a decade in the organization. The Phillies initially selected him in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. Despite the modest draft stock, he hit the ground running in pro ball. He posted huge minor league numbers, mashing his way to the big leagues in the second half of the 2017 campaign. That excellent production on the farm presaged strong numbers against MLB pitching. Hoskins raked at a .259/.396/.618 clip with 18 home runs over his first 50 games. While he didnt maintain that pace over any subsequent season, he has been a consistent middle-of-the-lineup presence in Philadelphia. Hoskins hit between 27 and 34 home runs in his four full seasons between 2018-22. He was on a similar pace in the shortened season, connecting on 10 longballs in 41 games. He has paired that with a walk rate above 10% in every year of his career. That power and patience gives him a solid offensive floor, even if he hasnt hit above .250 in any season since his rookie year. Since 2018, Hoskins has posted a .241/.350/.483 batting line. He strikes out in roughly a quarter of his plate appearances. Thats slightly higher than the league average but hardly outlandish, particularly for a player who hits for the kind of power he does. Hoskins has destroyed left-handed pitching at a .250/.399/.522 clip in his career. His .240/.336/.482 slash versus same-handed arms isnt quite as impre sive but remains solidly above average. The offense carries the overall profile. Hoskins doesnt offer much as a baserunner. He has graded as a slightly below-average defender throughout his career. Its unlikely his defense will improve as hes into his 30s and working back from a significant knee injury. Thats fine for the Brewers, who needed an offensive upgrade. Milwaukee ranked 17th in runs last season, a subpar figure for a team that plays its home games at hitter-friendly American Family Field. By measure of wRC+, which adjusts for park, Milwaukee ranked 24th in overall hitting production. That was the worst of any playoff team. First base was particularly problematic. Milwaukee received a dismal .231/.292/.389 showing from the bat-first position. That led the Brew Crew to non-tender . Milwaukee acquired at the deadlineto stabilize first base for the stretch run. The Brewers have remained in contact with Santana this winter, but theyll instead jump on the opportunity for a more significant lineup upgrade. The contract aligns with MLBTRs of two years and $36MM. A few priority rebound targets have landed a two-year guarantee with an opt-out in recent offseasons. Thats appealing for the player, who locks in more security than theyd have received on a straight one-year pact while still allowing them to get back to free agency after one season. Hoskins deal nearly matches the two-year, $36MM pact which signed with the Giants last winter after mi sing the 22 season rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Players like (two years, $33MM) and (two years, $38.5MM) have signed similar pacts after terrible finishes to their respective platform seasons. This contract structure isnt attainable for every bounceback candidate, but its one that higher-ceiling free agents of that ilk are increasingly able to secure. The specific salary structure hasnt been reported. If the deal guarantees Hoskins $17MM in each season, itd push Milwaukees payroll projection around $122MM, as calculated by . Thats marginally above last years $119MM Opening Day mark. Milwaukees payroll slate remains manageable even with Hoskins joining and (each of whom will make more than $12MM in their final arbitration seasons) on the books. If Hoskins picks up where he left off before the injury, hed likely join Burnes and Adames on next years free agent market. As with Burnes and Adames, Hoskins would be a candidate for a qualifying offer if he exercises the opt-out. He remains eligible for the QO since Philadelphia opted against the offer this winter. Milwaukee doesnt have to forfeit any draft picks to add him. , and could all join Hoskins in an interesting first base cla s next winter. The for teams this offseason isnt as robust. Beyond outfielder/first baseman , the top first basemen still unsigned are , Santana, and . Jeff Pa san of ESPN first reported that the two parties were closing in on a two-year, $34MM deal with an opt-out next winter ( ). Mark Feinsand of MLB.com that theyd finalized the agreement. Image courtesy of USA Today Sports. 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