Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer looking for eight year deal?
By Jason Evans
Free-agent first baseman Eric Hosmer wants an eight-year deal. Will the Kansas City Royals or another team bite?
As we approach Super Bowl Sunday, usually the big free agents have signed. This off-season has been the exception to that rule, thanks to the clients of super agent Scott Boras, the luxury tax acting as a hard salary cap, and teams finally realizing that big free agents deals aren’t necessarily the best way to go. One of those Boras clients is former Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer is among those big names who have yet to sign this off-season. The 28-year old has demands of quite the long-term commitment from whatever team may sign him.
Eric Hosmer’s camp has continued pushing for a contract of more than 7 years, source says. [He is a young free agent at age 28.] The #Royals’ need to re-sign him (and capacity to pay him) increased with this week’s Brandon Moss trade. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 31, 2018
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Hosmer is coming off a .318/.385/.498 season, tying a career high with 25 homers and driving in 94 runs, which is his third season in a row driving in more than 90 runs. He also posted a career-high 4.1 WAR in 2017.
First base is still a power position, and the thing that is a bit concerning to teams when they are shelling out this kind of money is not only how the player will age, but how much bang for the buck they will get. Hosmer needs to elevate the baseball more.
Per Fangraphs, Hosmer is coming off a career-low 22.2% fly ball rate. Among MLB first baseman that was 28th in baseball, which was the worst among all qualified first baseman in the game.
Hosmer has a ton of great qualities that aren’t quantifiable. He’s a leader, and he’s a guy who’s clearly good in the clubhouse.
The Kansas City Royals are clearly a team on the rebuild. After losing Lorenzo Cain in free agency, they can appease the fan base by bringing back Hosmer and making him a legacy player and this era’s George Brett.
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Is signing any player to an eight year deal wise. Probably outside of Mike Trout or Bryce Harper no. However, it seems like the Royals and Hosmer need each other. With the calendar finally turning toward February (January felt like it was three months long) and spring training days away, it’s time for players and teams to start doing something.
Hosmer and the Kansas City Royals reuniting could be that something that creates an avalanche.