Rob Thomson admits the Philadelphia Phillies would have been a better team if they kept Rhys Hoskins at first base.
"To the answer the question, with Hoskins on the club, we would have been a better team," Thomson told Howard Eskin on his 94WIP Saturday morning show. "Now, you would've mixed and matched Harper DH or play first every once in awhile, Castellanos DH—Castellanos gonna be in there he's a 30 and 100 guy. But yeah I think so, especially with Rhys' demeanor and the level of poise he brought to the game and his at-bats. He was a guy that didn't chance much and he walked in front of Harper and in front of J.T. and Nick, so that's a big part of it, no doubt."
Bryce Harper, who is now the Phillies' full-time first baseman, arrived in Clearwater for Spring Training on Sunday, says the organization wanted him at first base.
"Me and Dombo [Dave Dombrowski] we sat down and we said this would be great for our organization," Harper said on Sunday via NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark. "I said, 'If you want me in right field I'll play right, if you want me at first I'll play first base.' As a collective, they said first base is where we want you. And I said, 'OK I am going to do everything I can to be there.'"
After missing the entire 2023 season after tearing his ACL, the 30-year-old Hoskins signed a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers worth $34 million.
