Padres sign Eric Hosmer

[6025]

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/22484179/eric-hosmer-agrees-deal-san-diego-padres

The San Diego Padres and free-agent first baseman Eric Hosmer have agreed to an eight-year contract, according to ESPN and multiple reports.

The deal is worth $144 million, which would be the largest in Padres franchise history, according to multiple reports. The deal was first reported Saturday night by the San Diego-Union Tribune.

The contract is heavily front-loaded and includes an opt-out clause after the fifth year, according to reports. Hosmer will make $21 million annually over the first five years of the deal, according to FanRag Sports.

Hosmer, 28, joins a rebuilding Padres team that includes young sluggers Wil Myers and Hunter Renfroe. The Padres also have one of baseball's top-rated farm systems; San Diego's minor league system was ranked No. 3 overall last month by both ESPN's Keith Law and Baseball America.

With Hosmer, a four-time Gold Glove winner, at first base, the Padres likely will move the 27-year-old Myers back to the outfield. Myers had been San Diego's primary first baseman over the past two seasons after starting his career as an outfielder.

Hosmer batted a career-high .318 last season with the Kansas City Royals and matched his best from the previous season with 25 homers. He also had 94 RBIs, scored 94 runs and finished with a career-best .385 on-base percentage.

Hosmer was among the top free agents in the offseason who remained unsigned into the start of spring training. Right-hander Yu Darvish signed with the Chicago Cubs earlier this month, but Jake Arrieta and outfielder J.D. Martinezare still without contracts.

Hosmer is the latest addition by the Padres this offseason. Previously, they reacquired third baseman Chase Headley from the New York Yankees and got shortstop Freddy Galvis from the Philadelphia Phillies.

Hosmer is one of four core Royals players, along with Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar, who hit free agency for the first time this year. They arrived in Kansas City in 2011 as a group of 20-somethings and keyed the team's run to consecutive World Series, including a championship in 2015.

[6025]

I'm really not too keen on this deal. Mainly because it moves Myers back to the OF, where he was injury prone. I don't think it's a coincidence that he was injury free last year after moving to 1B. I know Hosmer is an upgrade defensively, but if Myers gets injured again what was the point in spending all of that money on Hosmer? The bullpen still needs shoring up (though the Pads seem to always find pitchers from the scrap heap and their system to fill the gaps) and it's heartening to see Hand still on the team but he is always in danger of getting dealt.

[Boltjolt]

They got a good player but i dont know why they went after him. This team isnt one player away from winning the division and it seems to defeat the youth movement some with so many good prospects. Its kinda baffling but good to know they are willing to spend when they need to.
I also didnt like reacquiring Headley. He hasnt been that good asside from one season and wasnt that good in NY. I hope they move him again. That move was a baffler too. Myers will just have to suck it up and they say he added bulk in the offseason.

[6025]

They got a good player but i dont know why they went after him. This team isnt one player away from winning the division and it seems to defeat the youth movement some with so many good prospects. Its kinda baffling but good to know they are willing to spend when they need to.
I also didnt like reacquiring Headley. He hasnt been that good asside from one season and wasnt that good in NY. I hope they move him again. That move was a baffler too. Myers will just have to suck it up and they say he added bulk in the offseason.

Yeah, I agree - on one hand they're willing to go after "key" pieces but I don't know if Hosmer can be considered that - to me they settled on the closest thing to a key piece but they had to force Myers to the OF (which reportedly he was more than willing to do to get Hosmer - they know each other from the KC system).

Yeah, trading Solarte for Headley was a real head scratcher. Headley is not going to add the power they think and he will prove to be a downgrade at 3B IMO. If they move him they'll have to throw him in with Brad Hand, who I fear is always on the block. The Padres always seem to land a decent closer and they push their luck by trading him away - someday the luck will run out.

[RobH]

Yeah, I agree - on one hand they're willing to go after "key" pieces but I don't know if Hosmer can be considered that - to me they settled on the closest thing to a key piece but they had to force Myers to the OF (which reportedly he was more than willing to do to get Hosmer - they know each other from the KC system).

Yeah, trading Solarte for Headley was a real head scratcher. Headley is not going to add the power they think and he will prove to be a downgrade at 3B IMO. If they move him they'll have to throw him in with Brad Hand, who I fear is always on the block. The Padres always seem to land a decent closer and they push their luck by trading him away - someday the luck will run out.

Headley wasn't the key piece in that deal; it was Mitchell, who they had been trying to pry away from the Yanks for two years. Headley was the salary dump that closed the deal. As average as Headley is, he brings a better OBP to the table than anyone on the team last year, so his bat is an upgrade in this lineup. He's also a good role model, and the price for one year is not onerous. I don't know if Mitchell was worth Solarte, but the scouting department is very high on him, and they just think that they need to give Mitchell a chance to grow into the role of a starting pitcher. Only time will tell. I'm okay with the Hosmer deal. I understand that it puts Myers back in the OF, but it was his wrist that was hurting, and that's not usually an outfield injury as much as legs. He's supposed to be one of the best athletes on the team, so I'm pretty sure he can play a decent OF for us. I'm looking forward to the year, and having that extra left-handed bat in the lineup is going to help us a lot, I think.

[BlazingBolt]

I am just glad they have a player to be the face of the team that is going to be here.....Wil Myers wasn't that guy. Maybe I will actually get a baseball jersey for once.

Glad to have something that proves the strategy just isn't be cheap and have a great ball park experience.

[Rugger05]

The Padres are pretty stacked in the minors everywhere expect first base. With this signing they have someone under their control until 2023. By all accounts he is a stand up leader in the locker room and went through the same things the Padres are doing in KC a couple years ago. They have the following position players under their control until 2022

Hosmer 1B
Hedges C
Tatis Jr. SS
Urias 2B
Myers OF
Magrot OF

Plus the following pictures that were listed in the top 100 in 2018

#19 LHP Mackenzie Gore
#40 RHP Cal Quantrill
#42 RHP Michel Baez
#50 LHP Adrian Morejon
#89 RHP Anderson Espinoza

We all know not all these players will pan out, but the work that Peller and his staff has done stacking the system will quality players has been amazing.

Very positive move by the Padres IMO

[6025]

The Padres are pretty stacked in the minors everywhere expect first base. With this signing they have someone under their control until 2023. By all accounts he is a stand up leader in the locker room and went through the same things the Padres are doing in KC a couple years ago. They have the following position players under their control until 2022

Hosmer 1B
Hedges C
Tatis Jr. SS
Urias 2B
Myers OF
Magrot OF

Plus the following pictures that were listed in the top 100 in 2018

#19 LHP Mackenzie Gore
#40 RHP Cal Quantrill
#42 RHP Michel Baez
#50 LHP Adrian Morejon
#89 RHP Anderson Espinoza

We all know not all these players will pan out, but the work that Peller and his staff has done stacking the system will quality players has been amazing.

Very positive move by the Padres IMO

That is a very stacked roster for the future, and I'm impressed as well the work Preller has done since the fallout with the Upton/Shields/Kemp acquisitions.

[Boltjolt]

If they all pan out it is a stacked roster but Hedges needs to hit better than .215 and so does Renfroe. That should happen as I expect them to get better but sometimes that don't happen. The catcher they got from Oakland got worse lol.