It's official!
Eric Hosmer is no longer with the Kansas City Royals
TEAR.
It's the biggest deal in Padres history.
According to the San Diego Tribune, The average annual value of the eight-year deal is $18 million, the largest monetary commitment in Padres history.
The Padres had said they would be creative. The $144-million contract is believed to be front-loaded, which might make the opt-out more attractive for Hosmer.
The signing will push first baseman Wil Myers, whose six-year, $83 million deal signed in 2017 was the team’s biggest contract ever, to the outfield. Myers, who played with Hosmer briefly in Single-A while in the Royals’ system, has said he would be happy to move if it meant the Padres got Hosmer.
The 28-year-old Hosmer hit .318 with a .385 on-base percentage in 2017, both career highs. He hit 25 home runs in 2017, for the second season in a row.