The Red Sox acquired Eric Hosmer Tuesday to provide some needed stability at first base. The question is, how long will he stick around?
The four-time Gold Glove winner and 2015 World Series champion has three years and $39 million remaining on his contract following this season. The Padres are reportedly sending $44 million to Boston as well.
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That means the Red Sox could have a solid veteran at first base whom they're barely paying while they wait for star prospect Tristan Casas to develop. Or they could ship Hosmer to another team — especially if he goes on a late-season run.
MLB Network’s Joel Sherman, who also writes for the New York Post, said Tuesday the latter scenario is a distinct possibility. “The Red Sox could redirect Hosmer now, or after the season,” said Sherman, via @RedSoxStats.
With the trade deadline over, the Red Sox are keeping Hosmer for the stretch run. He’s slashing .272/.336/.391 with eight home runs this season, and plays good defense. It will be a huge upgrade for the Red Sox to play a respectable bat and glove at first base over the next two months. Red Sox first baseman rank 26th in OPS and 29th defensively at nine runs below average.
On paper, Hosmer makes sense as a mentor for Cases. They attended the same high school — American Heritage in Plantation, Fla. — and have known each other since Hosmer was a teenager.
The Red Sox have been linked to Hosmer, 32, for years. The Padres signed him to an eight-year, $144 million contract in 2018. The Red Sox signed J.D. Martinez instead.
It’s fair to say that worked out for them.
Hosmer became expendable when the Padres acquired slugger Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell from the Nationals in a blockbuster deal Tuesday. The Padres originally included Hosmer in that trade, but he exercised his no-trade clause.
But Hosmer agreed to come to Boston, where chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom is not afraid to move pieces around. The fact that the Red Sox acquired Hosmer now, opposed to three weeks ago, speaks to the idea they may have been looking more for a good deal than a good player. After all, it's hard to pass up getting somebody for basically free.
If the Red Sox receive a good offer for Hosmer this offseason, would they pass it up?