Source: Rhys Hoskins agrees to 2-year, $34M deal with the Brewers after six seasons with the Phillies

Rhys Hoskins is ready for life after the Phillies.

Hoskins agreed to a two-year, $34 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, a source said late Tuesday night, confirming an ESPN report. The deal, which hasn’t been finalized, gives Hoskins a chance to restart his career after missing last season with a torn ACL in his left knee.

The Phillies effectively moved on from Hoskins in November when they decided to keep Bryce Harper at first base. Hoskins, who turns 31 in March, batted .242/.353/.492 with 148 homers in six seasons after being drafted by the Phillies in the fifth round in 2014.

» READ MORE: Rhys Hoskins’ top 10 Phillies moments reveal a legacy as a survivor of the team’s rebuilding process

Hoskins entered free agency in search of a multiyear guarantee. Although he will get that from Milwaukee, the contract reportedly includes an opt-out after the first year, which would enable him to reenter the market and increase his annual salary if he has a big season.

The Brewers ranked eighth in runs, 12th in homers, and 14th in slugging percentage in the 15-team National League last season. They will plug Hoskins into the middle of the order and hope that he’s able to produce the 30-homer power that was common during his time with the Phillies.

Hoskins was linked to several teams in the offseason, notably the Chicago Cubs. In Milwaukee, he will be reunited with former Phillies general manager Matt Klentak, now an executive adviser to Brewers GM Matt Arnold.

The Brewers figure to use Hoskins at first base and designated hitter, roles that were vacated when Rowdy Tellez signed with Pittsburgh and Carlos Santana left via free agency. Hoskins will join a lineup that features Christian Yelich, William Contreras, Willy Adames, and young outfielders Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick.

Hoskins injured his knee while backpedaling to field a chopper in shallow right field in a spring training game and underwent surgery March 30. He threw the ceremonial first pitch in an emotional moment before Game 1 of the wild-card series at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies sent Hoskins to Clearwater, Fla., to continue his rehab with the hope of being ready to play in the World Series. Hoskins returned for Game 7 of the NLCS and watched from the dugout as the Phillies lost to Arizona.

Hoskins’ tenure with the Phillies will be remembered for his smashing debut in 2017, when he hit 18 homers in 34 games and tied a club record by going deep in five consecutive games.

But his signature moment — the one that will be replayed in highlight videos forever — was his three-run homer in the third inning of Game 3 of the 2022 division series against Braves ace Spencer Strider. Booed during pregame introductions amid a 1-for-18 slump and a costly misplay in Game 2 in Atlanta, Hoskins punctuated the homer by slamming his bat to the ground, a spike that would make Jalen Hurts blush.

“I’ve grown up here,” Hoskins said after Game 7 of the NLCS. “I learned a lot of things about life here. I learned a lot of things about baseball here. That’s not something that I take lightly. I created a lot of great relationships with people who will be in my life forever within this town and within this organization.”