free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer The Cubs and Orioles are “on the radar,” according to a report by Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Hosmer is a free agent after being released by the Red Sox earlier this offseason.
2022 was a challenging year for Hosmer. He was batting .272/.336/.391 at the deadline when the Padres made the move. Juan Soto When Josh Bell from the Nationals. Hosmer was initially part of the return to Washington, but he exercised a limited trade embargo clause to decline the deal.The Padres moved forward and were eventually ejected Luke Voight Moving to the Nationals instead, Hosmer (and his remaining salary bar at the lowest in the league) converted to Boston and is a prospect. Corey Rozier When Max Ferguson in return Jay Groom.
After batting .244/.320/.311 over 50 times, Hosmer was placed on the injured reserve list with hip inflammation and missed the rest of the season. Given that San Diego paid most of his salary, it was possible that Hosmer would remain in Boston in some capacity going forward. opened. Triston CasasThere were reports that the Red Sox were looking to trade him before the DFA, but they apparently showed little interest and eventually Hosmer found his way back to the open market.
It’s been a bit of a bumpy road for Hosmer lately, and his eight-year, $144 million deal with the Padres hasn’t gone as planned, but he has the potential to remain a productive player for many teams. I can do it. This is especially true given the fact that the Padres still need his $13 million salary over the next three seasons, and the new team has a and pay him the league minimum fee.
Since 2020, Hosmer has hit 29 home runs for a .271/.335/.407 average, a fitting number for wRC+ 107. While this is a bit of a fall from his prime, it still shows that he is an above-average player. While he sacrificed a bit of power during that time, he did have his strikeout rate a little lower than he did in previous seasons.
The Orioles make a lot of sense as a landing spot for Hosmer.Right-handed as it is Ryan Mountcastle He plans to handle most of his reps at first base and has no obvious options at DH. Left-handed hitter Hosmer could offer another first base/DH option to deepen the lineup and give manager Brandon Hyde another option to fine-tune the lineup depending on the matchup. With the roster looking to take another step towards contention, adding a World Series-winning veteran like Hosmer wouldn’t hurt the clubhouse.
The Cubs also make sense as an option for Hosmer.They’re Already Linked With A First Base Option In Free Agent Trey Mancini When Dominic Smith It wouldn’t be surprising if Hosmer was on their radar this winter as well. The Cubs have been busy this winter, Matt Marvis When Patrick Wisdom Adding a bona fide first baseman like Hosmer makes a lot of sense, as he’s the most likely in-house candidate to win a first baseman/DH in 2023.
Both the Cubs and Orioles make sense for Hosmer, but be aware that there are quite a few teams that make some sense on paper, especially at minimal cost. With a clear path to regular playing time for Hosmer, they exist as two teams looking to compete in 2023.