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The Philadelphia Phillies saw a two-game win streak cut short by the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday.
As in the last few seasons, the Phillies are enjoying the benefits of a supremely talented and deep starting rotation. The team has posted the most total strikeouts of any squad in Major League Baseball so far this season. But the offense might be disappointing, given the number of star sluggers on the team.
Kyle Schwarber seems to be getting better with age and Trea Turner is enjoying a resurgent campaign so far. But overall, the Phillies are middling in most major offensive categories as a team, and their franchise player is stuck in a rut.
Bryce Harper is slashing just .232/.351/.419 with 36 hits and 39 strikeouts in his first 155 at-bats, prompting him to shave his head in an apparent attempt to turn things around.
While a new look might trigger a turnaround for Harper, Nick Halden of FanSided's Section 215 proposed a more drastic solution.
"However, the Philly lineup isn't without its fair share of concerns, including a slow start by Bryce Harper. With this in mind, the Phillies should be looking at potential lineup upgrades that help the team regain control of the division," Halden wrote. "One potential fit could be a familiar face for the Phillies in current (Milwaukee) Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins."
Now in the second season of a two-year, $34 million deal with the Brewers that includes an $18 million mutual option for next season, Hoskins is a different player than he was during his six-year run with the Phillies.
His offensive production dipped last season as he returned for a major injury, but he seems to have picked it back up at the plate so far this season, slashing .276/.384/.423. That production is good enough to suggest he would boost the Phillies' offense, if not serve as an outright replacement for Harper at first base.
"Having that ability to platoon Hoskins in the lineup makes the team far deeper," Halden added. "Hoskins coming back to Philly is possible when you consider the likelihood of the Brewers opting to sell off veteran contracts."
While this potential trade would delight many Phillies fans, the team is likely banking on Harper turning it around in short order and it is probably saving its trade capital for an upgrade in the outfield, if anything.
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