When Rhys Hoskins hit a three-run home ball for the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves in the 2022 postseason, it seems like ages ago. Hoskins slammed his bat down in ecstasy.

That’s the effect of an injury.

Teams now have to go forward without the prominent athletes, who are now relegated to a supporting role.

When Hoskins suffered an ACL tear during Spring Training, the Phillies were forced to take that action. After giving Trea Turner a huge salary and hoping to return to the World Series, they were left with no option.

After Hoskins was out, Bryce Harper finally assumed first base duties and performed to a degree that made the front management and coaching staff of Philadelphia feel confident enough to keep him there on a full-time basis going forward.

They therefore granted their slugging first baseman free agency.

It’s conceivable that Hoskins will join a different Major League Baseball team in his rookie season than the one that selected him in the 2014 draft.

“The Chicago Cubs are in talks with agent Scott Boras about signing free-agent first baseman Rhys Hoskins,” according to him.

The slugger would be well advised to go here. The Chicago Cubs, who lost out on Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto and haven’t re-signed Cody Bellinger, are in desperate need of extra power.

Hoskins has both of those criteria, and he might emulate Bellinger by using his “prove it” deal to resurrect his career as a highly sought-after free agent.

There is no official word on where the former Phillies slugger will play ball in 2024, but it appears that it will not be in Philadelphia and that the Cubs may be involved.