The free agent market is coming along slowly but surely, and Eric Hosmer is the latest big domino to fall.
Hosmer agreed to an eight-year deal with the San Diego Padres, the Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee reported on Saturday night. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi says the deal calls for an opt out after the fifth year. Scott Miller later reported Hosmer is set to make $20 million per season for the first five years, then $13 million per season after that.
Oh, and Hosmer gets a $5 million signing bonus. So that + 5 years at $20 mil per + 3 years at $13 mil per. $144 million total, AAV $18 mil. Sources.
— Scott Miller (@ScottMillerBbl) February 18, 2018
The Padres were said to be targeting Hosmer the entire offseason. The first baseman reportedly had seven-year contract offers from both the Padres and his former team, the Royals. He reportedly was seeking an eighth year on his contract, and it appears that the Padres were the ones who gave it to him.
San Diego now gets the 28-year-old, who has hit 25 homers in back-to-back seasons. Opinions were mixed on Hosmer, as some do not view him as a big difference-maker at a major offensive position, while others see him as a high average, high character leader who is great for a clubhouse.
The Padres will look to Hosmer to be a cornerstone for the team over the next several years. They are currently rebuilding and have one of the higher-ranked farm systems in the game. They’re probably figuring that by having Hosmer and Wil Myers locked up long term, they’ll have some nice building blocks in place by the time guys like Fernando Tatis Jr, Mackenzie Gore and Luis Urias are ready to make an impact in the big leagues.
