Before the 2018 season, the San Diego Padres decided it was a good idea to hand an eight-year contract worth $144 million to first baseman Eric Hosmer.
They regretted it after the first season, and have been looking for creative ways to trade his contract, even attaching a prospect with it.
Hosmer nixed a deal to the Washington Nationals as part of the package for generational talent Juan Soto, but agreed to go to the Boston Red Sox a couple of hours later.
That will be his new destination, as the Sox are taking him out of the Padres’ hands.
Boston won’t be responsible for the financial commitment that the Padres made with Hosmer a few years ago.
“Padres almost certainly paying vast majority of remaining financial obligation to Hosmer – more than $7M this season, plus $39 million from ‘23 to ‘25 – in deal with Red Sox. Boston not on his no-trade list. First: @sdutSanders,” MLB insider Ken Rosenthal tweeted.
Padres almost certainly paying vast majority of remaining financial obligation to Hosmer – more than $7M this season, plus $39 million from ‘23 to ‘25 – in deal with Red Sox. Boston not on his no-trade list. First: @sdutSanders.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 2, 2022
The Red Sox Will Welcome Hosmer, But The Padres Will Keep Paying Most Of His Salary
After 2022, Hosmer still has three additional seasons with a high salary on his contract, making his deal undesirable for anyone.
He did not like the current situation in Washington, as the team probably won’t be competitive for at least three or four years.
His no-trade protection didn’t extend to the Sox, however, so he is going to the last-place Red Sox.
Boston is usually a winning franchise that should remain competitive for years, even if things haven’t gone their way in 2022.
In the end, Hosmer will be replaced in San Diego by Josh Bell, and he will take over as the new starting first baseman in Boston, a problematic position for them.
At 52-52, they could still make the playoffs with a strong second half.
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