Which free agent designated hitter should the Arizona Diamondbacks sign?

Rhys Hoskins

Projected contract: 2 years, $36 million

Age: 31

Status: Free agent after missing the 2023 season with a torn ACL in his left knee.

Prior to his injury, Hoskins was not one of MLB’s biggest sluggers, but he was one of its most consistent hitters. He has a career slashline of .242/.353/.492 (125 OPS+). In signing Hoskins, the D-backs would not get overwhelming power, but they could expect consistent production.

Would it be nice to have a right-handed platoon for Christian Walker? Yes. But no one is signing Hoskins for his glove given that his career DRS is -7.

Still, just watch that swing.

You may wonder how Hoskins has performed at Chase Field. In 43 plate appearances, he’s slashed .177/.333/.265 (.500 OPS) with six hits, three of them doubles. He also had five GDP and a tOPS+ of 48. Clearly, this is a small sample size, and it’s safe to assume his offensive performance would even out.

What’s good about this? Hoskins could prove a real boon for a D-backs team that was not always offensively consistent. Moreover, given that Hoskins has just missed a season, it’s possible that he will look for a short-term contract or opt out that would allow him to re-test free agency. Any signing that allows the D-backs to avoid a long-term commitment is a good move.

What’s less good about this? He’s coming off a significant knee injury. There’s no reason to think Hoskins won’t have a full recovery, but signing him is not without risk, coupled with the fact that he missed an entire season.