MLB Rumors: Padres In Talks With The Royals’ Eric Hosmer, According To ‘The Athletic ‘
The latest MLB rumors from The Athletic indicate that the battle for MLB free agent Eric Hosmer continues between the San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals. Both teams are in talks with the infielder’s agent, but so far neither team has been able to come away as the top team in the ongoing negotiations. Still, the latest reports are indicating that a certain type of deal may cause Hosmer and his camp to budge toward one team for his next MLB season. Here are the latest details on what’s going on with Eric Hosmer, the Royals, and the Padres.
Earlier on Monday, The Athletic‘s Dennis Lin indicated that the San Diego Padres have been engaged in “regular dialogue” with Scott Boras, the agent for Eric Hosmer. Hosmer’s longtime team, the Kansas City Royals, have also said they’re continuing to talk with Hosmer’s camp in an attempt to re-sign the free agent to a new deal. It’s also being noted that when players start showing up this Wednesday in Peoria, Arizona, Hosmer probably won’t be amongst the arrivals for either the Padres or Royals. ESPN ran a report over a week ago that this is a spring training featuring the most unsigned free agents since the 1995 baseball strike happened.
Hosmer, a member of the Kansas City Royals since 2011, has hit .284 for his career with 127 home runs and 566 RBI. Just last season, his stats included a .318 batting average, 25 home runs, and 94 RBI ahead of this free agency period. Clearly, he’s become a fan favorite that the Royals will want to keep around. The team finished 80-82 last season which was good for third in the American League Central division, and with players like Hosmer and Mike Moustakas on board, they should be able to continue their contention in the AL.
The San Diego Padres (71-91) were fourth in the National League West division behind three teams that qualified for the postseason. Adding a player of Hosmer’s caliber may give them the boost they’re looking to contend with the likes of Colorado, Arizona, and the L.A. Dodgers next season. The Padres ranked in absolute last place this past season in batting average and most other team hitting stat categories. Adding to his value, Hosmer was eighth amongst leaders in the batting average category last season.
Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors suggested on Monday that Hosmer’s camp may be holding out to see if any injury situations pop up so they can potentially look at other opportunities. As it stands, Hosmer’s best deal has been a seven-year deal from his longtime team, but it’s being speculated that Hosmer and his agent are trying to get either team to tack on at least another year to a longterm deal. Time will tell which team wants Eric Hosmer the most for next season.
