3 Juan Soto emergency backup plans the Cubs must land

2. Cubs can lock up affordable first base help with Rhys Hoskins

The Philadelphia Phillies essentially bid adieu to Rhys Hoskins when Bryce Harper was announced as the full-time first baseman. It was a difficult end to Hoskins' Phillies career — he spent his entire final season rehabbing from a torn ACL, hoping to rejoin the team in time for a World Series berth that never materialized.

Now, he's set to depart Philadelphia for the first time in his MLB career. The Cubs have been the team most consistently tied to Hoskins, who last slashed .246/.332/.462 with 30 home runs and 79 RBIs in 589 ABs in the 2022 season. He also played a huge role in the Phils' World Series run that year, elevating his performance when the games mattered most.

Hoskins doesn't have an All-Star on his résumé, but he's a proven slugger who can evaporate any concern about the Cubs' first base plan. Pete Alonso will continue to linger as a trade candidate down the road, but Hoskins packs 30-HR upside on a potentially affordable, prove-it contract a la Cody Bellinger last offseason. Teams will be hesitant to unload the Brink's truck on the backend of a major knee injury, which could ultimately benefit the Cubs.

Hoskins posted a lofty 10.7 percent walk rate (80th percentile) in his last healthy season. He can legitimately intimidate pitchers when he's operating at the peak of his powers. Hoskins does have a mild strikeout problem — 25.1 percent K rate in 2022, in the 25th percentile — but he's a perfect cleanup-type hitter for an offense with plenty of contact ability near the top of the lineup.