MLB first baseman Eric Hosmer and his contract were traded from the San Diego Padres to the Boston Red Sox before the deadline this season.
Hosmer fell out of favor in San Diego and was effectively replaced by Josh Bell.
They had to pay his entire salary (except for the league minimum, which is covered by the Red Sox) in order for Boston to take him.
Hosmer’s contract has an opt-out clause, but guess what? He is opting in on his deal and will stay in Boston, with the Padres on the hook for almost $40 million over the next three years.
“Eric Hosmer will not be opting out. $39M, 3 years remain,” MLB insider Jon Heyman tweeted.
Eric Hosmer will not be opting out. $39M, 3 years remaining. #redsox
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 8, 2022
Hosmer electing to stay and opt-in was one of the easiest and most predictable decisions of the offseason.
A No-Brainer
If he opted out, there is no chance he would have gotten three years and $40 million anywhere.
He has been a bad defender for years, and his offense is mostly below-average at this point.
He is also 33, so his prospects of getting better are not promising.
In 2022, he slashed .268/.334/.382 with just eight home runs in 419 plate appearances.
There is no thump in his left-handed bat, and he is also a bad baserunner.
To sum up, Hosmer is not really a viable regular at this stage of his career.
If he is healthy and works a lot on his swing to get more lift, he could return to being a 20-homer guy and have some value.
He is veteran first base insurance for prospect Triston Casas, but his upside as a major league player is severely limited by now.