January 4: Hosmer and the Cubs are now in agreement, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.
January 3: The Cubs and first baseman Eric Hosmer are close to a deal, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Hosmer, 33, had the good fortune of having the best season of his career just as he entered free agency. He hit .318/.385/.498 in 2017, his last season with the Royals, leading to a wRC+ of 135 that indicates he was 35% better than the league average hitter. He was worth 3.8 wins above replacement that year in the eyes of FanGraphs, with that mark and his wRC+ from that season still standing out as his career best.
Prior to the 2018 season, Hosmer signed an eight-year, $144MM deal with the Padres that went beyond most predictions. That overpay became even more stark once Hosmer’s production dipped with his new team. Since signing that deal, he’s hit .265/.325/.409 for a wRC+ of 100, exactly league average. Though he has four Gold Glove awards, advanced defensive metrics are far less enamoured with his work in the field. All of Defensive Runs Saved, Ultimate Zone Rating and Outs Above Average consider him to be a below-average first baseman for his career. Taken all together, he’s essentially been a replacement-level player over the past five seasons, with his fWAR tally at 0.3 in that time.
Given his large contract and diminished performance, Hosmer’s name has popped up in trade talks for years. The Padres weren’t able to line anything up until this summer. They originally included Hoz in the Juan Soto deal but he used his limited no-trade clause to block that from happening. Luke Voit was put into that deal instead but the Friars then flipped him to Boston along with a couple of prospects, with pitching prospect Jay Groome going the other way. San Diego had to agree to eat all of Hosmer’s remaining salary except for the league minimum in order to get that done.
The Sox promoted young prospect Triston Casas down the stretch and were encouraged enough by his debut to release Hosmer after just a couple of months in Fenway. That left Hosmer free to sign with any team for the league minimum, with the Padres still on the hook for the three remaining years of the deal. The Cubs have seemingly stepped up to be that team. The fit is a fairly logical one for the Cubs, since there’s no real risk for them. If he can make any sort of turnaround towards his previous form, it would be a nice bonus. If not, they’ve made no commitment to him and can simply release him again whenever they want.
The Cubs had no real everyday first baseman in 2022, with the playing time scattered between Alfonso Rivas, Frank Schwindel, P.J. Higgins, Patrick Wisdom and some other role players. Aside from Wisdom, who can also play third base, they all had disappointing years and are no longer on the team’s roster. Higgins and Rivas were both designated for assignment last month while Schwindel is heading to Japan this year.
Arguably, the best in-house option the club has is prospect Matt Mervis. An undrafted free agent who had drawn little attention this time a year ago, he shot up prospect rankings with a monster showing in 2022. He began the season in High-A and completely mashed, producing a batting line of .350/.389/.650, wRC+ of 189. He got bumped to Double-A and hit .300/.370/.596 for a wRC+ of 148. After moving to Triple-A, his line was .297/.383/.593, 152 wRC+. Incredibly, his walk rate improved from 4.6% to 8.7% to 10.4% as he moved up the ladder, while his strikeout rate fell from 24.1% to 20% to 14.6%. The Cubs decided to keep the good times rolling by sending him to the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .262/.324/.590 in 17 games.
Though Hosmer’s addition blocks Mervis from the everyday job in a sense, it also shouldn’t prevent Mervis from seizing it at some point. As mentioned, Hosmer can be jettisoned at any time with no real repercussions for the Cubs. If Mervis seems like the better option, either in Spring Training or later, it should be a fairly easy swap to make. If Mervis struggles to carry forward the momentum from his excellent 2022, Hosmer gives the club a passable veteran to hold down the fort.
The Orioles were also connected to Hosmer since his release from Boston, but they will have to look elsewhere, assuming the deal with the Cubs gets finalized. The O’s have been looking for lefty bats to work into their first base/corner outfield/designated hitter mix and seem to be focused on low-cost options. They’ve signed Nomar Mazara and Franchy Cordero to minor league deals and also claimed Lewin Díaz off waivers, though they later designated Díaz for assignment and traded him to the Braves. A similar situation played out with Jake Cave, who was claimed off waivers from the Twins but then lost to the Phillies on a subsequent waiver claim. Earlier today, the O’s acquired Ryan O’Hearn from the Royals, adding another option into the mix.
Wow!!!
Wow, the Cubs are going to make a deal with someone
I have a question for some of you better baseball minds out there:
Since the Red Sox actually traded for Hosmer and got prospects to do it instead of just claiming him after he was released doesn’t that mean they HAVE to cover the league minimum salary for him throughout the remainder of his deal? I get that released players can be released again with no future financial commitment but that was a trade. Doesn’t that mean the stipulation that the Red Sox cover the league minimum is mandatory throughout the rest of his contract? I’ve never heard of an actual trade where one of the teams is allowed to back out of the financial commitment they made by releasing the player they acquired. I guess it’s possible that would be stipulated in the trade but I’ve never heard of that.
In other words, doesn’t that mean that now the Padres get to avoid paying twice the league minimum? Because the Red Sox would be paying the league minimum the remainder of the contract for Hosmer per the trade agreement AND the Cubs would be paying Hosmer the league minimum while he is on their team since they are picking him up. So the Padres save twice as much money now, right?
Any insight into this would be great for anyone who knows. I’ve just never heard of a team trading for a player and then getting out of their financial commitment by releasing him. I’ve also never heard of a team adding a player like the Cubs have just done while avoiding paying the league minimum. So that means both the Red Sox and the Cubs HAVE to each pay Hosmer the league minimum which means the Padres get to save twice the league minimum now as long as he’s a Cub, right?
As I understand this…. The Padres gave him the contract he is still under….the burden of the monies owed is still theirs, less the league minimum paid by cubs. I do not know if the cubs have any bonus or incentives on the table if that comes off the Padres owed money or not. I also think the Sox are done with their part.
@Steve only the team that holds him on their 40 man has to pay the minimum. The padres are responsible for the 39 million minus the league minimum. It doesn’t double up.
In a word, no. First, by releasing Hosmer, the Sox no longer have to pay him the league minimum. That now falls to whoever he signs with next. The Padres are still on the hook for the 13M they signed him to for the next three years. The Padres don’t save anything except the league minimum. I hope that helps.
Thanks for the input guys. I’m still a little confused though. So if a GM accepts prospects to acquire an overpaid player they can get out of that money because they weren’t the signing team? Like when the Braves agreed to pay half of Mike Hampton’s salary they could have gotten out of than by releasing him after the trade was done? It seems to me the Red Sox agreeing to pay the league minimum is just as certain as another team agreeing to pay half a salary. Is there another example where another team has traded for a player on a multi-year deal and gotten out of paying it by just releasing the player? I know the league minimum compared to half of an expensive players salary is small potatoes but a set amount of money in a trade is a set amount of money no matter how much it is, no?
I guess what I mean is if all that matters is “the signing team” how can teams trade for salary relief? Because that would mean the team they trade with could just release the player and the signing team would have to take on all that salary again regardless of the size. And Hosmer to the Red Sox was definitely a trade.
In a word, no. The Sox no longer have to pay Hosmer the league minimum. That falls to the next team he signs with. The Padres don’t pay him the league minimum. They the better part of the 13M they signed him to for the next three seasons. That’s the remaining amount of the 144M the Pads originally signed him for. The cubs aren’t avoiding paying Hosmer the league minimum. They have to pay it and they will if they sign him.
The Braves were on the hook for the salary. Had they dropped him, and someone else picked him up, they would be on the hook for what they owe, less the league minimum.
Same situation with Hosmer, but league minimum less league minimum leaves them with nothing left to pay this year.
Even though the Padres signed Hosmer, they have to pay the money they agreed to because it’s a contract. The Sox then released him and are no longer obligated to pay him. That falls to the next team that signs him. Whether it’s a trade with prospects, if he is DFA’d or released, the Pads have to pay Hosmer the remaining money on the contract and the next team now pays the league minimum. That’s how it works.
@Steve if the Sox agreed to pay any of the contract that would be different but they didn’t. Each of these scenarios are contractual. You may ask why would a team do this? Well the Hosmer money owed is not counted towards the luxury tax and it also depends on the value the team puts on the roster spot.
Steve – Sorry about the repeat post.
Under the new CBA rules, San Diego was able to the amount that counts against the CBT by $5,000,000 per year by trading him to the Red Sox. Whether he stayed in SD or was traded to Boston they were on the hook for the $39,000,000, but this allowed them to spend more and be taxed less.
Steve, look at it like this…
When the Padres traded Hosmer, they sent 2 prospects, +hosmer, +cash covering each remaining year of the contract. That was their end of the trade.
Now, it just so happens that the ‘cash’ included covered all but league minimum. The Red Sox owed the contract minus the cash the Padres attach. When the redsox released hosmer, they would’ve paid the league minimum they’re still on the hook for had hosmer not signed.
But, a player released under this situation, rule is the new team pays league minimum, always. So, hosmer doesn’t get more than his contract, and, Padres don’t get to reduce the trade value they attached to the contract.
Had the Padres covered all but 1m/yr and this situation happened, you’d have pads picking up all but a million, and, bos picking up the 200k or so difference between league min and what was owed.
If it helps, Boston didn’t trade salary relief to SD. There wasn’t cash considerations coming from BOS. They assumed the unpaid portion of the contract SD was unwilling to cover, but, outside that the contract continued as normal business. When passing that contract along it is treated as any other, thus the new team.assuming the first league min portion, and, wiping out what Boston owed and SD wasn’t paying.
Had Boston assumed half the deal, then the new team would pay league min, BOS would pay half minus league min, and SD would pay half. That’s why your scenario of taking a bad contract and DFA to get out of it doesn’t work.
I think a year or two ago ATL did a bad contract swap and released the players shortly after. Can’t remember who it was. They took the full hit against CBT and had to pay the salaries.
Steve
I assume that the Red Sox were given a sum of money to offset all but the minimum, and that The Red sox are on the hook for the minimum. If the Cubs keep Hosner, for that interval the Cubs pay the minimum not the Red Sox, and then if the Cubs cut him, the minimum is again paid by Red Sox thereafter. But this is my wild guess and I am interested in correct answer.
@MBMVP The cubs will responsible for the league minimum as long as he’s on the 40 man roster. If he’s cut then he’s not entitled to the league minimum as he would not be employed by a team. If another team adds him to their 40 man they’ll be responsible for a pro-rated amount. That will continue for the next 3 years.
He could sit at home and enjoy the 39 million the padres will be paying him
MannyBeingMVP – I agree with your take on the situation.
Because Hosmer elected free agency, anything he signs with a new club will be a new deal, the CBA just mandates he receives no more than league minimum from the new team and his former teams pay anything else owed on the contract.
Because the cubs didn’t make a waiver claim, they aren’t locked into any particular term and can make it a 1, 2, or 10 year pact as they see fit and that will be the duration. Once the new deal is up, SD remains on the hook for their portion, BOS remains on the hook for their portion. So-on, so forth.
One interesting wrinkle however, is if league minimum increases between when SD made the trade, and, the end of the deal. Under those circumstances, there would be excess money allocated from the trade. For sake of argument and round numbers, pretend Hosmer was owed 13m, league min was 750k, SD included 12.25m and BOS was to pay 750k/yr. Because it was a trade there was no mandate boston pay minimum, it just happened that was what their share amounted to.
Now, if league min jumped to say 850k, in a non-release environment SD continues to pay 12.25m, bos 750k, and all that matters is bos makes their share.
BUT, cba says if he is passed through waivers and elects FA, a new team pays league minimum. So, SD is slated for 12.25m, CHC would supposed to be 850k, except now there’s an overage because that’s 13.1m
I’d imagine the 12.25 goes to the CHC and although contract says they cover 850k, the rest gets treated as a cash considerations payment just like other trade compensation. But I don’t know. Odds are there is SOME boilerplate in the CBA and mlb rulebook that resolves such discrepancies and its more novelty than anything else since we would only be talking 100 grand or so in real money.
I think Manny is right. If I understand it correctly… The releasing team is always the team that saves the league minimum no matter what if I understand correctly. And the Padres paid cash so it can’t be taken back. But the caveat is if every team in MLB decides they don’t want Hosmer before his contract is over, the Red Sox have to start picking up his league minimum salary again. I think I get it. Thanks for the input guys. I think the best way to think about it is the releasing team is always the team that saves the league minimum and the BoSox just happened to only owe the league minimum. But the Red Sox could still be on the hook in the future for the league minimum if every team passes on Hosmer, right?
Great responses guys. I was very curious and I knew some of you guys could make me understand more. I had just never heard of any team trading for a player and then getting out of the entire financial commitment just by releasing him but it makes sense now.
@ Steve if every team passes on him or he decides to watch games from home the padres pay the full 13 million a season ,instead of getting that small relief. He’s getting his 39 million no matter what.
Jimbo,
Hosmer is under contract for the full amount.
In the trade, the Padres paid the Red Sox $36.78 million which amounts to all but the MLB minimum for 2023-2025
The Red Sox are responsible for paying Hosmer $39 million for those 3 seasons.
If Hosmer does not sign with another team now that the Red Sox released him, the Red Sox are responsible for the entirety of his contact.
If he is signed, that team owes him the minimum and the Red Sox are responsible for the balance.
@Jimbo: I think the Red Sox have to pick up that relief when/if every team drops him over the next 3 seasons if I understand correctly. The Padres agreed to pay everything “but the league minimum” and he was traded, not released by the Padres. I think that since the red sox were the releasing team they both get to save the money when another team picks him up but also have to pay the league minimum money they promised if no team picks him up.
@BBIL not true
I get the Padres are not responsible for the minimum ever again but they are responsible for the contract minus the minimum which I’ve stated about 3 other times
Yes… I agree Jimbo. The Red Sox are not responsible for the whole contract like the other gentleman said. I thought it was a very interesting concept though because apparently a lot of people have varying opinions on it. I think a lot of people already knew the answer though and now I think I understand it. Thanks to everyone who helped me understand by adding input.
Does he get two pay checks? The 13m? Or what ever it is plus the league min from who ever he signs with?
He must have been at one time. Multiple gold gloves? Not just multiple – four of them.
The way to look at it is like this. Hosmer is being paid by the Padres with his full original contract. The team he currently plays for reimburses the Padres the league minimum for him to play. That’s why he can not sign for more. It doesn’t matter what his new team pays because it just goes back to the Padres anyway. So it’s not like he is being paid by both the Cubs and the Padres. He only gets one paycheck. So if he is released and picked up elsewhere the payday reimbursement flip flop will continue. They all get paid via direct deposit these days anyway. I never understood the trade from the Padres point of view. Why didn’t they just release him and let him go where he wanted to. Unless maybe the Dodgers had expressed interest at some point why do that to the guy?
Palmeiro won one, so I wouldn’t say Gold Gloves are a standard of elite defense.
Keep him from going to a rival team in the NL.
Again. The Gold Glove is a joke and has been for a long time.
@thecoffinnail Trading him while eating all but the league minimum instead of just releasing him had some luxury tax implications and they also got back Jay Groome in the trade who Preller is reportedly high on.
Go to your window, Throw it open, And that sound you hear is me vomiting profusely. Enjoy.
it can depend on the deal. in some of these deals the team that takes the player agrees to pay a portion of the salary. that’s when it can become somewhat tricky. I don’t think there was any such agreement when Hosmer came to the Sox. Not sure about the Mike Hamptom deal.
How do you make your vomiting sound like traffic? That’s talent.
Frias are like “hey yo Rockstar GM his salary is coming out of your coke allotment”
LosPobres- He gets paid the same money as his original cointract. He gets the minimum from the Cubs, And the rest minus the minimum from the Padres. It’s just accounting. The CBA covered this double dipping preventing guys from tanking on a contract and then signing with another team to prevent double dipping for more money. Hope this helps.
Gotcha
Wow!!!
Wow wow!!
Wow wow wow!!!
Wow wow wow wow!!!!
Wow wow wow wow wow!!!!!
Who are you?
Worry about your own team d-bag.
B00giem – I’m not sure there are any legitimate cubs fans. On any given day there are those who like to sit in the bleachers to get dead drunk; Old men who sit on park benches with their scrunched up cubs hats from the 1940s who eventually find their way to the upper deck and stare into space; and those who are there to work on their tan. It doesn’t matter which players are on the field because those who fill the park aren’t watching anyway.
Wow. You really spend a lot of time thinking about the Cubs.
If you’re actually this delusional, I would encourage you to go listen to some of the many Cubs podcasts run by Cubs fans and listen to them talk about the Cubs,
Who is your team anyway?
I have been a cubs fan since I was a baby. My grandparents started taking me to games at 9 months old. We went every year. Traveled all over the country to see them. I knew all the stats as a five year old. Mark Grace was my fave player. There are definitely true dire hard cubs fans like me out there.
The Cubs have one of the most loyal fan bases in baseball. They hadn’t won a World Series in 108 years, and still the fans packed the stadium. In 2006, 98 years since their last championship, the Cubs ended the season in last place. Wrigley was second in attendance percentage with 94.9% of their seats sold. Only the Red Sox, with another fanatically loyal fan base, sold a higher percentage of their seats in 2006.
This is the quintessential no risk high reward signing
Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz had alot to do with the Red Sox attendance in 2006
The Red Sox had won a World Series in 2004. The Cubs hadn’t been to one in 98 years.
Wow wow wow wow wow wow!!!!!!
Comments like “wow” really contribute a lot to baseball discussion. Really helpful. Congratulations on outstanding baseball insights.
I’d appreciate a thumbs up. Thanks
How about a thumb in the eye?
Thumb in the eye? Wow. Just Wow!
I’d be happier if they signed Doogie Howser than this waste of space.
He’s the team doctor.
Don’t you mean “Ow, just Ow!”
tenor.com/view/owen-wilson-owen-wilson-amazing-won…
Don’t sleep on the Cubs. That division is weak and if they get even a few of these guys to bounce back, they could really have a decent team.
I think Nico Hoerner and Seiya Suzuki will have quality seasons, so you add Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger, and Eric Hosmer to that mix and suddenly, that lineup looks pretty decent. If you can get some production from Nick Madrigal and Patrick Wisdom, all the better.
Plus Hendricks, Stroman, and Taillon at the top of the rotation make a decent top-3. I know I keep saying “decent”, but in the NL Central, “decent” may be competitive.
I don’t think the Cardinals are weak, but yeah the division isn’t strong anything can happen especially in a 162 game season
I hope the NL Central 2nd baseman are ready for some ground balls.
Cubs in agreement Epic Houser -Jon Heyman
This made me literally lol
Funny, but Heyman is Boras’s boy.
Lol boras is over ther like Heyman, 5k for a mystery team report right now on the double
Heyman is like we can do it for free this time who’s the player?
Bottom-feeding move.
Sure it is.
If Hosmer does well he could be traded if the team is bad and if he stinks then he is released and no loss.
So tell me how is that bad?
Also with the addition of Hosmer mean the Cubs are actually ready next season except for the pen, so Cardinal and Brewer fans need to worry a little or don’t and let see if the Cubs get into the playoffs…
The Cubs are still several steps behind the Cardinals and Brewers. The Brewers have arguably the best rotation in baseball and are one Christian Yelich renaissance away from having an elite lineup. The Cardinals have an excellent defense and an extremely deep lineup with two MVP caliber stars, as well as a solid (if unspectacular) rotation. The Cubs have a question mark of a rotation and a lineup that is heavily dependent upon Bellinger and Hosmer playing much better than they have in several years. They also need Suzuki to be who they paid him to be, something that hasn’t been proven at the MLB level yet.
Starting to make gagging noises………… Now! Hey maybe he’ll flunk the physical due to mental problems.
The Cub’s “question mark rotation” had the third lowest ERA in baseball after the all star break and that was with a patchwork group without Tallion or Hendricks. No, Hosmer doesn’t move the needle (Where does it say they think he will??) but it buys them time til Mervis can. And how does Suzuki batting .262 in 397 ABs not prove he’s ready to be in the ML?. The only question is how much better can he get after one adjustment season?
LOL!!! Brewers elite rotation?? They had the same last year and didn’t make the playoffs. They also have no offense left. Forget about Yelich, he was a fluke that will haunt their payroll for years.
I agree with almost everything except the Brewers having arguably the best rotation in bb. I’d pick Houston, Atlanta and even the White Sox. Just my opinion.
I’m a Cubs fan but I agree they will finish 3rd in the division. The Brewers have maybe the top 3 starters, but I wouldn’t say best rotation.
.262? Really? I hate to be the one to tell you but that stinks.
Maybe fourth. Look out for the Pirates!
Elite? Is that what you call Yellich, Adames, Tellez, Contreras, Winker, Urias, Mitchell, Taylor, and Turang?
Only 4 of the 9 were above league average by WAR in 2022 with the high being 4.4 WAR.
Only 3 had a qualifying number of plate appearances. Those 3 averaged a 112 OPS+. A little better than Hosmer’s 107 OPS+.
I must be missing something, because nothing about that lineup screams elite to me.
Contrast that to the Padres.
The Lineup: Tatis, Grisham, Soto. Machado, Bogaerts, Kim, Cronenworth, Nola, and Carpenter
7 were above league average in WAR with 5 being over 4 WAR and the top 2 being at 6.8 and 5.8 WAR. That does not include Tatis who may be the best player in that group, but didn’t play in 2022.
6 of the 9 were above league average in OPS+. Grisham at 83 and Nola at 91 were below league average. Those 8 put up a combined 124 OPS+ for 2022. Again, Tatis is not included.
Tatis has a career 160 OPS+ and had a 6.6 WAR in 130 games in 2021. .
In addition to the Padres, the Mets, Astros, and a couple of other teams come to mind when you say elite lineups.
The Brewers? Not so much outside of two of their starting pitchers.
262? I hate to tell the both of you that batting average doesn’t matter.
Wow. Just wow.
Keep telling yourself that as they strike out 200 times.
Half a season of good results when your team isn’t contending is a certainty now? I disagree.
They didn’t make the playoffs because they can’t hit.
I see a healthy Burnes, Woodruff, Peralta, Lauer, and Ashby as about as good as anyone. I don’t think they’re clear favorites though.
Batting average doesn’t matter but the MLB average was .242 last year. so .262 hardly stinks
@Wagner>Cobb You dismiss bellinger and Hosmer but argue the Brewers will be elite if Yelich has a renaissance. I hate to break it to you but he hasn’t been good since Bellinger was vying for MVP. Milwaukee offense is mediocre at best and I don’t see a lot of depth in the rotation. Cardinals rotation isn’t great but that offense should be very good. I’d say Cardinals are the front runners but could easily see the Cubs or the Brewers making it interesting.
That question mark of a rotation certainly out-performed the Brewers over the last half of the season! Add a proven starter like Taillon and it’s even stronger. The Brewers have a swing and miss lineup and Yelich is barely above replacement level these days. And thanks to that big contract he has that soaks up about 20% of the brewers payroll, they will probably be forced to trade at least one of Burnes/Woodruff.
@Hank Last I checked, OBP and OPS are still primarily driven by BA
The White Sox? You have to be a Sox fan, only explanation. Mets, Astros, Braves, Phillies, Yankees, blue jays, dodgers, rays all have better rotations than the white Sox and possibly the brewers. Brewers have a heck of 1-2 punch but the rest of that rotation isn’t anything to write home about. I am not seeing massive depth. If Miley stays healthy he will be solid. Peralta has had one amazing season and only pitched 145 innings that year. Ashby, Lauer, Houser ? I mean come on.
The Cubs rotation got better when Wilson was no longer the game called behind the plate, so the Rotation will be their strongest part of the rotation.
Hosmer, Horner, Swansby, and Wisdom isn’t the greatest but a massive improvement from last season for the infield.
The outfield and catching is solid and the bench isn’t bad either, so that leave the Pen.
Cardinal fans will discover Wilson isn’t the answer behind the plate and will regret the signing and the Cards will fall a little and the Brewers are relying on their players to have a career year outside their rotation, so the Central is wide open and the Cubs could make it but until they do the Brewer and Cards fans will disagree.
Cardinals have had negative production from Catcher for years. Contreras is a huge upgrade.
Wow if that’s really the case and Contreras is a huge upgrade, Cards fans are in for a world of disappointment.
Why? The narrative that he’s a poor defensive catcher is so easily disproven. And he’s consistently been a top-5 offensive catcher and a legitimate threat. He was a very solid pickup.
He has not shown the ability to effectively manage a pitching staff. Why do you think Jed and Carter didn’t offer him an extension at any point? Good luck to your new catcher. He’ll need it.
Nearly every cubs pitcher across the board had a higher era with Wilson behind the plate. The cubs let him walk for a reason. He’s a definite upgrade with the bat.
Stroman’s numbers were better with Contreras. Lester and especially Hendricks gave him huge plaudits for his game calling.
Saying he didn’t manage the pitching staff well is a one-dimensional analysis. Pitchers also have to execute. You can’t blame the catcher if they don’t.
So, what was it they had to work out? Did they have negotiate that they would pay him league minimum?
Dumpster diving for sure!
Since the White Sox play at Guaranteed Rat Field their fans are trained to recognize a dumpster when they see one
Another fave nickname is Second Rate Field
If you look close, you might even see Rick Hahn trolling for more garbage for his team’s starting lineup.
Red Sox legend, he will be missed
Kudos to the Hoyer Team! Now it’s time to concentrate on the upcoming season.
Glad they found somebody who can groundout to 2B like Heyward. I was worried they would not be able to replace that type of production.
The Human Toilet;
It’s great to read a comment that so describes the commenter!
No don’t worry, nobody can hit a broken bat squibber or pop up like Heyward (sans-2020).
Not sure why folks like to dump on Hosmer. How much did we pay for a catcher that can’t hit who 2 GG’s a LONG time ago with poor 2022 defensive numbers? Having a 4x Gold Glover out there can only help Mervis’s development to learn from the best and have the pressure taken off of him. This will be another Andrelton Simmons to Niko Hoerner scenario.
Hosmer has always been a bad defender and didn’t deserve any of his Gold Gloves. He’s very far from “the best”, and there’s been a few rumors out there throughout the years that he’s not the nicest/most coachable guy
Just read his history. Whatever he did six years ago he’s not that player anymore. Typical of cubs fans who prove time and time again that they know nothing about bb. They don’t deal with facts. They just try to put a good spin on bad players.
Is it better to prove time and time again that you’re a blue chip, gold star hater?
That is such a ridiculous thing to say you must be a White Sox fan. I have nothing against the Sox anymore but anything related to the Cubs brings out the trolls to say idiotic things like a 4x Gold Glover is bad. It’s beyond laughable. You obviously have no idea just how bad 1B was for the Cubs last year at run prevention and OAA.
The Gold Glove award is a joke and has been for quite some time.
Hosmer is definitely a baseball player of all time.
To the practice squad?
Hard to tell what the Cubs are doing these days.
Not really. They’ve got several hot prospects due up in 2023-2025. Bellinger and Hosmer are potential high upside, low risk, short term stop gaps/potential trade pieces to help ease in players like Mervis, Davis, and PCA.
It’s a bit less ambitious than I’d like a team with Cubs’ money to be, but I completely get what Jed is going for.
90% of prospects don’t make it. Bellinger is washed up and has no upside. Tell me again, what are the cubs doing?
Yes, that’s true. But as I mentioned the Cubs have a handful of highly rated pros[ects that have done well at a high level of late so they want to see if they can make an impact on the team. Not all their prospects. Just a few.
Bellinger was incredible from 2017-2019 when he won a RoY and MVP, and he’s only 27, so that’s his upside potential.
And sure thing. Here’s what the Cubs are doing:
They’ve got several hot prospects due up in 2023-2025. Bellinger and Hosmer are potential high upside, low risk, short term stop gaps/potential trade pieces to help ease in players like Mervis, Davis, and PCA.
It’s a bit less ambitious than I’d like a team with Cubs’ money to be, but I completely get what Jed is going for.
I hated the thought of him coming to the Orioles. Instead they grabbed O’Hearn and somehow now I wish they’d have gotten Hosmer. It can always get worse in Baltimore.
I’ll go way out on a limb and predict that the Cubs will release him before the season is out.
If they do they only have to pay him the league minimum.
You will be wrong. He’ll hit 20 hrs at Wrigley. 80 RBI’s. .270 average and play an average 1b.
Last time he had those numbers was 2017. Time changes things.
In 2019 he hit .265 with 22 home runs. His average has been better than that in each of the following years.
At league minimum, it’s not a bad deal.
Five years ago. What has done since? Released by the Padres and Red Sox. But ideal for the cubs.
You guys kill me talking about batting average like it’s important or something.
Making contact is important. It’s like hitting the dang ball which is the point.
OBP is in the .330’s, so not great but average.
Has pop and plays First Base and can DH and if he stinks it up, released and only lost a small amount of money…
No risk, all reward. IF he rebounds.
You mean no risk, no reward signing
love it! hrs ist everything! he will help esp on defence!
How will he help on defense? Hosmer’s defense is so bad that a large contingent of the Padres fanbase blames him for Tatis making so many throwing errors in 2021.
I don’t see the harm in this signing. The dude has had a decent career except for a few years. Y’all need to settle down.
This deal is like betting a nickel to try to win a quarter, not a big deal, but why not? Hosmer will not get in the way when the kids are ready.
Hosmer hits .270 with a .330-.340 OBP, he doesn’t have much pop but plays good defense. Half the guys in the league these days have an OBP under .300
He is actually terrible at playing defense.
Not true. He’s average not terrible.
I’ve watched him for years. He is total dog water on defense. You will see him do things and be like what we he thinking. I don’t care what metric you can find that says other wise. He is just not good on defense.
Cubs should sign him and keep him until may then release him. That’s about the only month he doesn’t suck.
If you read the article it clearly says that the metrics don’t rate his defense as being very good, despite four gold glove awards. The metrics agree with you.
youtu.be/Yfvsh8vrEl4 watch this
And that’s his highlights.
Thanks Pobrecito, now I’m going to have nightmare flashbacks tonight. Hos was so frustrating to watch.
And that was only the first year?
I get it but you don’t. The guy is a minimum contract for 1 year unless he improves or he’s released if he plays bad like in the past.
His salary allows the Cubs to sign another player.
Got him.
Good defense? Are you making this up as you go along?
Are they all in?
Because signing Hosmer/Barnhart/Bellinger says “ehh maybe?”
Stroman, Taillon, and Suzuki are all big ifs too.
I actually like the Swanson signing for them.
Take it easy and enjoy the Cubs until their prospects mature.
And who have the Brewers signed? Waiting..?
Oh wait…the Brewers are a “Yelich Renaissance ” away from having a good offense. Yeah, right. A Bellinger Renaissance is just as likely.
I’m not a Brewers fan. Yelich has been way better than Bellinger though.
Well, the Brewers did trade away Renfroe and Wong.
And Hader
Idk about signed but they did steal William Contreras for one Esteury Ruiz who was left unprotected from the Rule 5 draft a year ago.
He comes at league minimum, so CHC will get a lot of bang for their buck with SD paying the vast majority of the $36M he’s still owed. Cubs could do a lot worse.
Just worried how this effects Matt Mervis and if this starts him in AAA no matter what he does this spring or will they move him to the DH spot where he cannot improve his defense at 1B?
Also worried about the Veteran Team leader long leash excuse if Hosmer stinks but continue to plug him in the everyday lineup.
The kid could DH and play first with Hosmer doing the same, so there is room still.
My issue is Wisdom is still at third base…
I still think cubs end up with donaldson..with yanks paying a good chunk of his salary
Things would look a lot better with him in a DH platoon.
My guess is Morel gets a lot of starts at 3B this year. Wisdom is probably more of a platoon utility guy now and I’m guessing they will sign another RH bat as well
Didn’t Wisdom sign to play in Japan this season?
Nope
No
God I hope not. He’s a decent player, but he’s also a complete tool. Perfect for the Yankees.
Mervis does not have the fancy pedigree where the FO would hold him back to delay the service clock. If Mervis is ready to play, both he and Hosmer will be playing regularly one at 1B and one at DH. Wisdom will start over Morel at 3B, Morel will back up both Wisdom and Bellinger.
Matt Murton*
youtu.be/Yfvsh8vrEl4
LosPobres1904;
I watched 10 seconds…..
Do you have one of his pickups of bad throws at 1B? clutch hits? HR’s?
Highlight and lowlight films are just propaganda.
How is he supposed to give you a link to something that doesn’t exist?
Us Padres fans watched him play like crap, giving you heads-up but what ever.
Better off giving someone in AAA a shot that’s hungry, someone that cares etc.
Of all the players the Cubs could have signed, Hosmer is definitely one of them.
They should just stick with Korey Lee. By this point, he’ll probably break out like Jeremy Pena, and lead Houston to another title.
Eric Homer King
I don’t know kind of has the feel of when we acquired Eric Karros. He ended up being solid
Eric Karros was supposedly done when the Cubs got him, but he was a great pickup. Good times!
Cubs will be major trade deadline players
Yes, Cubs will be dumpster diving at trade deadline as well.
Your team is a dumpster.
If it can play 2b, we’ll take it!
White Sox will be begging to get Madrigal back
If this is true worst move of the off season. Brutal
All risk no reward
LosPobres1904;
Very little risk concerning the salary……
Which you team is paying, so I can understand your position. However, Hosmer is hardly the only outrageous signing your POBO has made in 15 years, yet your crazy owner continues to throw dollars at his feet as if they were rose pedals.
Trust me – there’s more on that roster that will be just as bad. Your team paid Wil Myers $41m the last 2 years. Will and his agent were happy to get a $6m contract from the Reds a few weeks ago.
He’s a waste of roster spot there’s a reason he was given away by the Padres and The Red Sox didn’t want him for.free.
This is a wasted spot on the 40-man roster. The only reason we are signing him is because he is cheap. He will be DFA’d by May 15. Heck, would rather keep Heyward and have him for defense than Hosmer.
League minimum. Average numbers. People have been sour on Hosmer because he was overpaid to begin with, and because of his ground ball rate. I have watched him for years at 1B. He was better than the stats show. He saved a lot of infield errors with his glove. I was glad when they got rid of him because Bell should have been an improvement. I think the Cubs will be glad if they sign him.
No he wasn’t better than stars say. He was far worse.
The only reason his numbers are average is because he finished out April with a 1.054 OPS. After that, he had a .240/.305/.336 and OPS below .650.
Exactly, was similar the year before.
Don’t even ask him to change his swing he has already said he isn’t ever going to.
The cubs would be elated with those numbers in April. They are just buying some time for Mervis. If it works out great, if not, oh well.
Are you kidding? Hosmer was an atrocious defender.
119 career RC+ against RHP for the league minimum.
Hopefully they can help him hit more fly balls
That’s generous. He’s got about a 105 OPS+ against RHP for the last couple of seasons.
Great move by the Cubs. Low cost with potential upside. Give Hosmer 30-40 games, 100-130 ABs. If he stinks, cut him loose. Otherwise keep him and spend some money elsewhere.
No no, when he starts hot trade or release him. After April it’s down hill.
Hosmer in the NL Central will hit well. Look for a bounce back.
Milktoast 1B goes to milktoast organization.
Interestingly Hosmer in his career at Wrigley Field is 17-63 with 0 HR’s. We’ll see just how friendly “The Friendly Confines” will be for Hosmer this season
Nothing wrong with this move. They won’t factor into what happens in this division. It’s still a two-horse race between St. Louis and Milwaukee. If Bellinger, Hosmer, and Barnhart are playing well midway through the year they will probably flip them. Bellinger is maybe just maybe an extension candidate if things go well.
I’ve seen so many comments about Hosmer and his groundballs. What’s not been mentioned is how LH hitters stand to benefit quite a bit from the elimination of the shift. Granted it’s not going to help slug, but OBP and BABIP will be affected. All those ground outs to short RF become hits. I’m no huge Hosmer fan but the key thing here is having a veteran mentor around Matt Mervis. The rookie has nothing left to prove in MiLB and should not be blocked. Hosmer won’t block him and as a fellow LHH, he might be able to help Mervis along.
Does Hosmer have the personality to be a mentor?
I’ve seen so many comments about Hosmer and his groundballs. What’s not been mentioned is how LH hitters stand to benefit quite a bit from the elimination of the shift. Granted it’s not going to help slug, but OBP and BABIP will be affected. All those ground outs to short RF become hits. I’m no huge Hosmer fan but the key thing here is having a veteran mentor around Matt Mervis. The rookie has nothing left to prove in MiLB and should not be blocked. Hosmer won’t block him and as a fellow LHH, he might be able to help Mervis along.
The shift is not eliminated, it is limited. Players who were shifted often will still b shifted right upto the limit. Hosmer is not very fast so a limited shift is not going to have all that much of an impact for him.
“The rookie has nothing left to prove in MiLB.”. I don’t agree. Mervis has been in the minors for two whole years. He his .204 in 2021.
Hosmer can be signed for league minimum salary. What are he and the Cubs negotiating about? A no trade clause? A fourth year option?
Probably other teams that want him for that same minimum salary. He gets to make the decision on where he plays.
I’d see that as a decision just for Hosmer’s side once he knows which teams want him. But I guess there could be some dialog about how the team intends to use him.
So we’re really listening to Heyman now? Is that what we’re doing?
Yeah, he said that some guy named Correa was signing with the Giants, then the Mets. Can’t wait for the next contestant on “Where’s Carlos?”
It’s the new Where is Carmen Sandiego, right?
Arson Judge XD XD XD
Git’r done!
Sign him, add Adrian Sampson and trade them to Baltimore for Santander to full-time DH and let the kid play at first.
Are you sure that’s a fair deal? Maybe the Orioles should throw in Rutschman and Bautista to go with Santander, wouldn’t want to fleece the Cubs too hard here.
This from Mlb Trade Simulator: “MINOR OVERPAY” “Although one side of this trade is giving up a little too much, there is still a high probability it would be accepted if each team’s needs are met”.
So yeah, I believe if Baltimore is the other team interested in Hosmer than why not dangle a starting pitcher who might be squeezed for a roster spot. Would he not start for the Orioles?
The above trade simulation was Sampson for Santander.
If the Orioles were going to trade Santander, their second best hitter in 2022, it wouldn’t be for a 31 year old journeyman swingman with a career FIP over 5.00 and career high IP of 125 and Eric Hosmer.
Plus Hosmer could just veto the deal anyway since free agents cannot be traded prior to mid-June of their first year with their new team unless they approve the trade.
Rather have Trey Mancini
The problem is not Hosmer. At basically free, he is a good signing. Average can be useful and he isnt Rivas. The issue is this is a major market team that doesnt act like it.
What did they win, 74 games last year – should have won less. And that was with a fluky good rotation in the 2nd half of last year. Contreras is gone and the team is relying on production from Bellinger, Hosmer, Madrigal and Mervis.
Plus, the best hitter left is a free agent after this year and they wont lock him up.
Real chance Cubs are worse than last year if things go wrong. Sure they have a 15 pct chance of things going right plus a lousy division but an offseason of Swanson and retreads isnt going to work.
So you believe the Cubs are ‘relying on Madrigal’? Just curious, for what purpose do you feel?
As of today, yes they are. The hope is that Madrigal can get back to that high average contact style and stay healthy. He still costs nothing but in order for Madrigal to be worthwhile, he needs to hit like .320.
To me, this team has so many ifs and no elite players. Madrigal is just one of many.
Madrigal is a backup on this team who may not even make the final roster cut so he is likely being shopped for a small trade.
C Gomes/Barnhart
1B Mervis/Hosmer
2B Hoerner
SS Swanson
3B Wisdom/Morel
LF Happ
RF Suzuki
CF Bellinger
DH Mervis/Hosmer
I believe you left out Swanson. Not sure if that was on purpose.
I included Swanson in my original post. He is good but he isnt some superstar. If Swanson is your franchise focus, you arent winning anything.
Oh I see it now. Thanks. Nope I didn’t mean to infer that he is the Cubs savior. I just didn’t see the name at first in your post.
Should have signed with the Nats.
Why “close”? There can’t be economic rationale, since he’s going to be at MLB minimum for Cubs, and will be governed by his extant contract for the next three years
He’s likely seeking opt outs tied to playing time. He’s essentially playing for free, so I’m sure he has little desire to sign with a team just to sit on their bench. I can see players wanting to keep playing to stay relevant. With Hosmer not being a FA til age 36 and assuming continued regression, he very well may already b under contract for all of the $ he ll ever earn in MLB again.
I wonder if he can get them (opt outs) without forfeiting the balance of his full salary.
I hope he’s not being offered a bonus to sign with the Cubs.
He ain’t
Low risk signing by the cubs. Probably at the major league minimum since sd or Boston is paying hosmer not to play. He might pull a few into left field bleachers at wrigley.
Better than the marlins or pirates moves. Cubs won’t compete much in 2023 anyway.
For those who say cubs had tops era 2nd half of 2022, mlb hasn’t split a season since 1981.
All this is, paying Hosmer to play 1B for first month is season. Then bring up Mervis, getting an extra year of Mervis before he can become FA. Hosmer will be paid by the Cubs about one Month, then let go, Padres then paying his full Salary.
Cubs need him for one month.
Nah… He will be a Cub at least until mid season, they won’t release him in a month even if he’s performing poorly.
They fixed some of that service time manipulation in the new CBA .
Overpay
Lol – Cubs troll as usual. Only you would find signing someone to the league min to be an overpay
Just buying time for Mervis when he comes up in May or June.
Gonna be alot of double plays caused by Hosmer.
The Cubs are ready to Cub. They’ll miss the playoffs by 6 games in the wild card race.
LOL, still will be more impressive than what the white sox will do
white sox were 81-81 in a year there were supposed to be good! too bad its the white sox, i got to see cubbies playing in nlcs for 3 straight years in 15-17 😉
when is the last time you watched the white sox in 3 straight nlcs? hint: never
Well that would be difficult since they play in the AL 🙂
whoops, you know what i mean… wise-ass… 🙂
Neither the Cubs nor the Sox are playoff teams this year, genius. The Whitesox still have far more talent than the Cubs do. The Cubs earn half a billion plus in revenues annually, yet spend like a small market team. That is an outrage.
Here’s your homework assignment: sit down and look at both starting pitching rotations side by side and tell me which is better.
Hint: it’s not even close. F
OK, I’m just putting your inaccuracy about spending like a small market team aside, but since when does being a fan of a team mean you have to be a fan of the owner(s) as well?
I’m definitely not a fan of Mr. Ricketts, not the way he went about getting the new construction at Wrigley, and especially not a fan of his biblical comment… I think it was biblically out of touch, but whatever… I’d like to think the next one will be one i like better
still doesnt change the fact that cubs only finished a handful of games worse than the Sux in an obvious rebuild & experimentation season, whereas the white sox were in ‘win now’ mode… but sure, if you want to take the white sox 5 best pitchers vs the cubs 5 best in a completely unrelated tangent, then you win i guess :eyeroll:
having said that… I’m a Bulls fan too and i’d STILL take Ricketts over Reinsdorf as owner all day
You are an angry person. I hope this is therapeutic for you.
You’re just a jealousWhite Sux fan troll. You should stop posting because you are showing how much of a moron you are. Get a life, seriously.
Also, how does a closer gift a World Series title?? Shows how much you actually understand baseball.
A Cubs fan asking how a closer won them a World Series? You must be new.
Just for laughs, someone needs to make a list of all the mediocre signings by both Chicago based teams the last 10 years or so.
If I want to laugh I would read your posts
Those making the claim Hosmer joining the Cubs is bad, well explain how it is bad if he signs with them?
They ( Cubs management ) believe he has some use and can play either DH or First Base while allowing the kid in the minors to win one or the other position.
Hosmer may not do anything but for the minimum salary is worth taking a look at, so for those mocking the Cubs, well it is weird because of the Cardinals, Brewers or White Sox did it you would see their fans tell us how this is a low risk deal, so I am unsure what the issue is?
For real. Where are some people getting the idea that Hosmer is a “good defender at 1B?” It’s literally not true.
They see the gold gloves and decide that they do not need to think for themselves. Awards mean ever, right?
He is most likely going to DH while working at First Base while the kid from the minors adjusts to the majors.
Also everyone mentioning the Gold Glove winnings should remember Rafael Palmeiro won one when he DH the majority of the time that year, so the award is meaningless.
That’s the guy I was thinking of but couldn’t remember his name. Thanks Jake.
Jake is always there for us. Just ask Mahomey and Rodgers
How dare you bring up Raffy without his prior permission. A finger wag for you good sir
Whoop de do. This move IMO is completely unnecessary. Not to mention, counter productive.
WATCH OUT NL CENTRAL
Serious question since I’ve never paid attention to this matter while watching games Hosmer has played in. Is he a guy that opposing defenses shift on? Just wondering if there’s any possibility to his hits improving because of the ban…
I would have rather played Frank “The Tank” Schwindel at 1B when he wasn’t pitching.
Low risk signing. And it gives them a chance to see if Mervis can cut it at the big league level. If so, bye bye Eric. If not, he’s an okay stopgap for one season I suppose.
Cubs fans should be furious about this offseason. Hosmer is on the decline, can barely hit 20 home runs at a power position at this point and defense is steadily getting worse.
Ricketts is still going to charge you $120 a ticket for a team with Dansby Swanson as their big splash, a guy who’s made 1 all-star team in his career.
Hoyer should really be on thin ice at this point. I could see the Cubs desperately trying to move some of these guys by early as next year’s trade deadline.
It’s great to see Eric Hosmer coming home to replace Garrett Cooper.
Oh wait…you mean to tell me that Kim Ng missed out on another player…a player from South Florida? And she is dedicated to find another 1B even though it seems that the Marlins have given Garrett Cooper the type of job security that you give franchise players?
Congrats Cubs!
I don’t know if you’re being serious or not, I’m guessing you’re not happy with Kim Ng as a Marlins fan? You guys are in a tough division so I can understand the frustration.
Yeah, Kim Ng is wearing out her welcome in Miami. She was a nice story, but has failed as a GM. And from the trade deadline on, it’s been because of a lack of effort while making sure that she doesn’t miss any self-promotion opportunities.
Mancini is still available he would be a good option at first base and he wouldn’t break the bank. Had no idea she did so much self-promotion that’s a bummer.
I understand the redaox have some rookie they think is ready, but their club was weak as his HR totals. They could of used him. I guess those prospects that came with him were good I don’t get it. Same with the Soto trade. Lousy return
I meantvthe Hader trade.