San Diego Padres have every reason to sign Eric Hosmer
Unlikely Eric Hosmer suitors, the San Diego Padres have every reason to sign the 2015 World Series Champion first baseman this offseason.
The San Diego Padres entered this offseason without many lofty expectations. At some point, they became contenders for free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer. Rumors are nothing but overheard whispers, however, it makes a lot of sense for them to go after him.
The Padres can’t wait around forever to see their prospects develop into stars. That’s now how championships are won. The Houston Astros needed multiple reinforcements in 2017 in order to break through and go all the way. A year earlier, the case was the same when the Chicago Cubs reached the ultimate goal after several losing seasons.
Hosmer brings more to the table than just baseball statistics. The 28-year-old lefty brings consistency, leadership, and experience. All three elements are something the Padres could use.
Last season didn’t start too well for Hosmer. By the time game 162 went in the books, Hosmer put together his best year yet while playing in every game for the Royals.
The question many doubters wonder is whether or not Hosmer is actually a fit for the Padres. Wil Myers is signed to a long deal, but also capable of playing a corner outfield position. There’s also an argument to be made about how Hosmer would block prospect Josh Naylor.
However, Naylor is still at least two seasons away from playing regularly in MLB. There’s no guarantee he ever becomes anything special either.
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Hosmer isn’t a one-trick first baseman who goes for the home run each at-bat. While he has only hit 20 home runs twice in his career, both occurrences came in the past two seasons when he knocked 25.
Hosmer has traded in a few doubles for round-trippers over those two seasons with the result helping to boost his RBI totals to new heights.
Scoring runs are one of the problems the 2017 Padres endured. Only 604 Padres crossed the plate. It shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that it was the worst total in the league.
The Padres will no doubt look to improve the roster this winter. Unfortunately, until they actually go after a big name like Hosmer, we can only really expect them to make smaller additions.
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Thus far, this quiet offseason has included one big move by the Padres. Their extension of general manager A.J. Preller suggests the team is ready to see what else he can do. Even if they don’t land Hosmer, it’s time the Padres make a splash and take advantage of their low payroll. Soon enough, they won’t write any checks to Matt Kemp.