During his annual appearance on WIP, Bryce Harper cleared the air on the rumor and innuendo surrounding a reunion with Rhys Hoskins, and made it clear the door was never truly open this offseason.
“Yeah, we didn’t really talk about Rhys,” Harper said, explaining that while Hoskins’ name briefly surfaced around last year’s trade deadline, it never became a serious topic this winter.
As much as the clubhouse would welcome Hoskins back, Harper admitted the fit simply wasn’t there. With first base, DH, and outfield roles already spoken for, roster construction made a reunion impractical, even if the emotional pull remained strong.
“Obviously, you’d always love to have Rhys back in any fashion,” Harper added, noting that it ultimately “just didn’t make sense.”
The comments reinforce what many suspected: sentiment alone couldn’t outweigh the realities. Hoskins remains a beloved figure, but this version of the Philadelphia Phillies is built differently, and moving forward without him was a calculated baseball decision, not a personal one.
As for Hoskins, he signed with the Guardians.
