The Boston Red Sox are stuck in a conundrum at first base since Triston Casas suffered a devastating knee injury earlier this month.
Veteran Rafael Devers, who moved from third base to designated hitter before the season, with the Red Sox signing Alex Bregman, isn’t a fan of going to first base. Therefore, the Red Sox are working with a platoon at first base with Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez.
On paper, the Toro-Gonzalez platoon will work for now, but if the Red Sox want to compete for a postseason spot, they’ll likely have to acquire a first baseman by the trade deadline at the end of July.
On Sunday, Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY mentioned the idea of Boston being a fit for Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins.
"If the Boston Red Sox are still looking for a first baseman at the trade deadline, Rhys Hoskins of the Milwaukee Brewers could be the perfect fit. Hoskins, a free agent after the season, will be available if the Brewers aren’t in the playoff hunt."
Heading into Sunday, the Brewers are currently six games out of first place in the NL Central and six out of the final wild card spot in the National League.
The 32-year-old Hoskins could be the perfect option for the Red Sox as he’s hitting .285 with five home runs and 24 RBI in 137 at-bats this season. Hoskins’ defense leaves much to be desired, which was an issue with the Philadelphia Phillies.
However, he would give the Red Sox a power bat from the right side who also has playoff experience.
Hoskins is crushing right-handed pitching, slashing .297/.396/.440 with three home runs and 17 RBI this season. He also possesses an .836 OPS and .393 BAbip. For his career, the veteran first baseman is slashing .238/.333/.469 with an OPS of .802 and a .277 BAbip.
If you are a Red Sox fan, Hoskins is a good name to watch out for, as he shouldn’t cost you one of Boston’s top prospects, given that he’s a free agent at the end of the year.