Bryce Harper says the Rhys Hoskins reunion conversation with Dave Dombrowski never happened
Last week, we covered the report that Bryce Harper had been pushing the Phillies to bring back Rhys Hoskins and that Dave Dombrowski ultimately passed. Turns out the story didn’t really happen at all.
Bryce Harper went on WIP this week and said the internal conversations about Hoskins this offseason essentially did not happen. “For us we never talked about it in camp,” he said. “It kind of doesn’t fit for our team right now. With DH and first base. We would love to have him back at any point, but it just didn’t make sense.”
He added that the Hoskins conversations they did have were at the trade deadline last year, not this offseason, which is a pretty significant clarification.
Bryce Harper didn’t talk to Dave Dombrowski about Rhys Hoskins
The roster logic checks out. Harper is at first base, Schwarber is the DH, and there is no obvious spot to put Hoskins in a lineup built the way this one is. That was always the argument for why Dombrowski said no and it turns out it was pretty much the whole story.
Bryce Harper also said he has cleared the air with Dombrowski over past comments, which is the kind of thing that is worth noting even without much detail attached to it. These two have to work together for a long time and keeping that relationship clean matters.
The Hoskins reunion is not happening this year. Phillies fans can close that chapter for now and get back to focusing on what is shaping up to be a legitimate World Series contender without him.
As for Hoskins, he landed on a minor league deal with the Cleveland Guardians, pending a physical. Manager Stephen Vogt said he is excited to have a right-handed bat who can compete at first base and DH, which is exactly the role the Phillies would have used him in had the fit been there.
Hoskins hit .237 with 12 home runs in 279 at-bats last season with Milwaukee after the Brewers declined their $18 million option on him. He is competing with two left-handed hitters for the first base job in Cleveland and will earn $1.5 million if he makes the Opening Day roster.
Not exactly the dream scenario for a guy who was once the heart and soul of a Phillies lineup, but Hoskins is a professional and he will compete for a spot. Would still love to see him find his way back to Philadelphia someday. Just not this year.
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It was a woman reporter, is anyone shocked that she made up a lie about men? Ha. Bryce Harper fully debunked this entire story made up by this illegitimate reporter. She lost all credibility, although she shouldn’t have had any in the first place.