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Cubs Release Eric Hosmer

By Mark Polishuk | May 25, 2023 at 7:25pm CDT

The Cubs have released Eric Hosmer, according to the veteran first baseman’s MLB.com profile page.  Hosmer was designated for assignment last week, and now that he has gone unclaimed on waivers, he’ll return to the open market in the aftermath of the release.

It wasn’t an unexpected outcome given Hosmer’s underwhelming performance this season, as he hit .234/.280/.330 with two home runs over an even 100 plate appearances.  The Cubs signed Hosmer to a one-year deal this past offseason hoping for a bounce-back in a best-case scenario, but more realistically viewing him as something of a placeholder until Matt Mervis was ready for a regular dose of first base duty in the majors.  With Trey Mancini also getting a lot of action at first base and Patrick Wisdom able to play the position, Chicago didn’t even have room for Hosmer as a veteran complement.

Signing Hosmer came with essentially no financial cost to the Cubs, who owed him just a Major League minimum salary ($720K).  As per the terms of his eight-year, $144MM deal signed with the Padres during the 2017-18 offseason, Hosmer is still owed $13MM in each of the 2023, 2024, and 2025 seasons, and San Diego is still responsible for the vast majority of that money.  Should another club sign Hosmer to a new contract, that new team will again just have to pay a prorated minimum salary, with the Padres footing the rest of the $13MM bill for 2023.

Given this low-risk salary situation, it’s possible a team in need of first base help, left-handed hitting depth, or clubhouse leadership might explore bringing Hosmer aboard.  However, it has been some time since Hosmer has been a truly productive member of a roster, as the 33-year-old has hit only .263/.323/.406 since the start of the 2018 season (or, when he joined the Padres in the first place).  Those offensive numbers translate to just a 98 wRC+, and Hosmer’s overall value is -0.1 fWAR in the last five-plus seasons.

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Chicago Cubs Transactions Eric Hosmer

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62 Comments

  1. baked mcbride

    2 years ago

    Uff da!

    1
    Reply
  2. bronxmac77

    2 years ago

    “Hosmer is still owed $13MM in each of the 2023, 2024, and 2025 seasons, and San Diego is still responsible for the vast majority of that money.”

    BRILLIANT!

    9
    Reply
    • fljay73

      2 years ago

      The negative of longer term deals. Hosmer should just take the rest of the year off.

      3
      Reply
      • thickiedon

        2 years ago

        Just wait til these decade long quarter to half billion dollar contracts start to sour. Gonna be a league full of 50 year old Pujols clones

        11
        Reply
      • brandons-3

        2 years ago

        The money structure actually “helped” the Padres in this case since a majority of contracts are backloaded which typically keeps a struggling veteran on the roster long past their expiration date.

        Even if the original 8/144 deal was paid out evenly, they’d have been on the hook for about $54 million over the final three years opposed to the $36 million they owe. It’s not fun to eat that, but it’s palatable comparatively.

        1
        Reply
    • Deadguy

      2 years ago

      Mmmmhhhmmm A.J. Preller loves cocaine

      1
      Reply
      • User 899214610

        2 years ago

        I mean, who doesn’t?

        3
        Reply
        • Gwynning

          2 years ago

          I think it smells pretty good, but I’ve never done it…

          5
          Reply
  3. bronxmac77

    2 years ago

    Thanks for the effort Eric.
    Now, hit the bricks.

    1
    Reply
  4. Ejemp2006

    2 years ago

    Oh Mr Hosmer! So sorry, so sad. Gotta stay in game, can’t officially retire or the pay checks stop. Obvious his heart wants to fish all day now.
    No more even good plate eye. No more even great defense. Just a baseball body that washes up on shore. Zombie minor league clubhouse guy.

    4
    Reply
    • notagain27

      2 years ago

      No he doesn’t have to stay in the game to get paid. Those contracts are guaranteed unless you do something stupid like Bauer did.

      3
      Reply
      • CardsFan57

        2 years ago

        @notagain27
        Bauer is still being paid by the Dodgers. Guaranteed is guaranteed.

        5
        Reply
      • truthlemonade

        2 years ago

        If a player retires while still under contract, he no longer gets paid.

        Gil Meche is a recent example of a player who retired while leaving money on the table. He felt he wasn’t earning his paycheck, and didn’t want to feel that way.

        Mark Mcgwire had some kind of situation like that.

        3
        Reply
      • Ejemp2006

        2 years ago

        There is mental pressure he puts himself under pretending he still wants to play. After World Series win and best year and contract, he lost his fire and faked funk in San Diego. Now he probably tells his family, ashamed of making unearned money, “oh yes, definitely, yes, i still have more baseball goodness!” Then he cries alone, looking in the mirror half wishing the love for baseball came back and half wishing he had the guts to admit to his families that he wants to collect checks, go fishing, and stop taking zippies down the first base line.

        Reply
    • Tom Emansk1

      2 years ago

      He doesn’t have to stay in the game, he just needs to not file retirement papers. Hypothetically he can just spend the rest of this season and the next two seasons fishing while remaining a free agent, then officially retire after the conclusion of the 2025 season.

      6
      Reply
      • gotigers68

        2 years ago

        If he’s better at fishing, than baseball, can the Pro Bass Tour be far behind ?

        2
        Reply
  5. spooky

    2 years ago

    1738

    Reply
  6. thickiedon

    2 years ago

    ClUbHoUse LeAdersHiP… like these teams are a bunch of 9 yr olds that need a washed up, overpaid, underperforming “veteran” to steer the ship, give sage advice, and be a father figure. I hate this about MLB. Give a job to a prospect instead of waiting til they’re 25. OR bring up a seasoned minor league veteran as a bench option. Champagne wishes and caviar dreams, Mr. Hosmer!

    3
    Reply
    • bronxmac77

      2 years ago

      You type like a 9 year old.

      7
      Reply
      • thickiedon

        2 years ago

        Hit the bricks.

        1
        Reply
        • bronxmac77

          2 years ago

          Eat my bricks.

          1
          Reply
      • This one belongs to the Reds

        2 years ago

        I think he is…or a 25 year old prospect who didn’t get called up yet.

        3
        Reply
        • Gwynning

          2 years ago

          Show me a 9 year old who can spell “champagne” and I’ll show you a 25 year old prospect!

          3
          Reply
        • thickiedon

          2 years ago

          George Springer was almost 25 when he was called up. I might’ve exaggerated by a year but the point is teams delay good prospects in order to keep their prime years cheaper

          1
          Reply
    • CardsFan57

      2 years ago

      I always thought good coaches are cheaper than good club house guys.

      7
      Reply
    • truthlemonade

      2 years ago

      Rookies often are so thrilled to be in the big leagues, making big league money that they fool around and that can be bad for the clubhouse. I remember Ichiro and Randy Johnson complaining about that.

      That said, I wonder how much leadership Hosmer can exude since everyone can see that he is a guy who keeps getting passed around and dropped after a few months. A guy like that who has good advice to give should be a coach. However, it wouldn’t shock me to see another team give him a shot since he is basically free by MLB standards.

      Reply
      • Dogbone

        2 years ago

        Hosmers supposed leadership from the bench – was just an attempt by him to keep relevance so he could still hang around the MLB scene. He truly served absolutely no purpose on the Cubs.
        If the Cubs had known they were going to be able to sign Mancini, I really don’t think Hosmer would ever have been brought in.

        1
        Reply
        • thickiedon

          2 years ago

          Mancini (who endured cancer, spent an insufferable 7 years with the Orioles, and earned his contract year to year) is a prime example of who you’d want in the clubhouse. Yes, rather a shame he wasn’t signed prior to Hosmer

          Reply
  7. stymeedone

    2 years ago

    So he is not a great defensive 1B (if he was ever more than average). He’s not a fast runner. He plays a power position, but does not hit with power. He’s been a below average hitter. The Padres signed him for being a club house leader, but when he no longer started everyday, had to pay off his contract to remove him as a clubhouse cancer. He will not be a low risk signing because San Diego is footing the bill, he will be a low chance of success because of all the things he has shown he can’t do well. Bringing up a rookie has higher odds of that player being good at something, anything, than signing Hosmer, and they will cost the minimum, also.

    3
    Reply
    • DrDan75

      2 years ago

      Hosmer has decent power. He just uses it to drive baseballs straight into the ground in the general direction of the second baseman. His defense is awful.

      6
      Reply
      • Dogbone

        2 years ago

        Thank you. Bingo!!

        Reply
  8. CardsFan57

    2 years ago

    This gamble didn’t work out. The gamble on Bellinger has worked out very well.

    Reply
    • Travis’ Wood

      2 years ago

      A league minimum contract isn’t a gamble. Totally different from Belli

      5
      Reply
      • CardsFan57

        2 years ago

        So the bigger risk paid off. Just giving credit where credit is due.

        3
        Reply
        • rememberthecoop

          2 years ago

          A Cards fan saying something nice about the Cubs? Gimme a chair, I gotta sit down before I pass out!

          3
          Reply
        • CardsFan57

          2 years ago

          Lol. Like I said, credit where credit is due. Bellinger was a good signing that I thought was a bad signing at the time.

          2
          Reply
        • Pickle_Britches

          2 years ago

          Bellinger was hot to start the year. Let’s see if it continues

          Reply
  9. Old timer 78

    2 years ago

    ALWAYS A CLASS ACT. ALWAYS A GENTLEMAN !!

    2
    Reply
    • Gwynning

      2 years ago

      Except when he made Voit leave town instead of accepting his inevitable fate…

      5
      Reply
      • LFGSD619

        2 years ago

        He didn’t do anything to Luke Voit. A. J. Preller did. And Voit was available for the league minimum this past offseason if you really miss him that much.

        1
        Reply
        • Gwynning

          2 years ago

          Oh hi Eric!

          2
          Reply
        • LFGSD619

          2 years ago

          Cute. Hosmer still did nothing wrong by exercising his NTC and Voit still wasn’t helping the Padres in 2022. There are plenty of reasons to not like Eric Hosmer but you’re really reaching on this one.

          1
          Reply
    • Stevemac 2

      2 years ago

      You ever been to spring training? Your class act is a complete jack ass who ignored 100s of kids wanting him to throw them a ball after a out or foul! Instead of tossing a ball to a kid and make his day he threw the balls back into the dugout! And completely ignored the fan base which there for that interaction with the players! Enjoy your millions Mr Hosmer!!

      4
      Reply
    • Cam

      2 years ago

      Just don’t go into the clubhouse and ask him about swing adjustments and ground balls – a former FanGraphs writer can attest to that one. Hosmer treated the guy like trash, belittled him, said he doesn’t need to make changes – then (probably) went on to hit 3 ground ball outs the next day.

      Stay classy, Hosmer.

      3
      Reply
  10. CrikesAlready

    2 years ago

    He’s sooooo bad he’s not worth the MLB minimum…

    He’s rich beyond 99% of the country and he’ll continue to collect a paycheck instead of retiring.

    1
    Reply
    • passed_balls

      2 years ago

      Ego is a helluva drug

      2
      Reply
  11. dclivejazz

    2 years ago

    Eric Hosmer, the human hot potato. It couldn’t happen to a better guy that nobody else really wants him after he nixed a trade to the Nats.

    3
    Reply
    • bronxmac77

      2 years ago

      I put that on the Padres. His contract was a bad idea from the get go. Coming from the World Champion Royals, he benefitted from the ‘halo effect” ( Bill James term) of that winning season. I remember thinking, “They don’t open the vault for local boy made good Adrian Gonzalez (from East Lake and a Mexican-American to boot!), but they break the bank for THIS guy?”

      3
      Reply
      • LFGSD619

        2 years ago

        Different ownership group. Seidler would not have let Gonzalez walk.

        2
        Reply
        • bronxmac77

          2 years ago

          Yep. And that was a shame. A-Gon was a perfect hero in SD. Hometown boy and a Mexican American, and a great hitter. He honestly could have been Mr. Padre II.

          1
          Reply
    • bronxmac77

      2 years ago

      “The Yanks are paying you $3 million to play against them…”

      That’s cold. And that’s Eric Hosmer now, with the Padres.

      1
      Reply
  12. Pickle_Britches

    2 years ago

    Bout time, one of the worst players in MLB

    2
    Reply
  13. BaseballisLife

    2 years ago

    Mervis has not hit well, so it’s Mancini’s job now?

    Reply
    • egrossen

      2 years ago

      Mervis will get more than 60 AB before they give it to Mancini

      Reply
    • egrossen

      2 years ago

      Me too

      Reply
  14. James Midway

    2 years ago

    He grounded out to second on his way to the parking lot.

    6
    Reply
  15. algionfriddo

    2 years ago

    Hosmer will not make even the slightest attempt to alter his worm killing swing. So… he can STILL collect his millions without making any changes… from the sidelines.

    2
    Reply
  16. detroitfan69

    2 years ago

    Detroit sign him

    Reply
  17. detroitfan69

    2 years ago

    Unexpected response from server. Repeatedly get this message

    2
    Reply
    • commentsopen

      2 years ago

      I get this message on the app all the time too!! Why?

      Reply
  18. Fire Krall

    2 years ago

    phillies?

    Reply
  19. yoursisterisnice12

    2 years ago

    Test

    Reply

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