Eric Hosmer is coming to Wrigley Field as the Cubs’ regular first baseman, and whether you’re a fan or Tom Ricketts, the owner of the team, there is little not to like about this development.
While Hosmer is entering his 13th season in the major leagues he’ll continue the tradition established by Anthony Rizzo. He should give the franchise a first baseman worth a lot more than he is being paid.
Because the Padres agreed to pay the remaining $44 million in Hosmer’s contract when they traded him to Boston last August, the Cubs were able to sign Hosmer for the major-league minimum of $720,000. He is a major upgrade at a position where the Cubs produced a .627 OPS last season from a group headed by Frank Schwindel, Alfonso Rivas and P.J. Higgins, none of whom remain on the roster.
Hosmer figures to serve as a bridge to Matt Mervis, who last season hit 36 minor-league home runs and another six in the Arizona Fall League. Like Hosmer, he is a left-handed hitter but the Cubs should be able to play one of them as the designated hitter if Mervis shows he can handle big-league pitching.
Boston released Hosmer in December after signing Justin Turner as a free agent. The Red Sox plan to use 22-year-old Triston Casas as their primary first baseman. They were in the running for a postseason spot when they agreed to add Hosmer, a day after the Padres had traded for Juan Soto and Josh Bell.
While Hosmer is moving to his third team in five months, he remains a productive player. He was better than the average hitter last season, delivering a slash line of .268/.334/.382 in 104 games between San Diego and Boston. His metrics added up to 1.1 rWAR, which was the sixth time in eight seasons he’s been worth at least 1 WAR.
Hosmer joins shortstop Dansby Swanson and second baseman Nico Hoerner in an infield that should be strong defensively, helping the Cubs do a better job in run prevention. He has won four Gold Gloves, most recently in 2017, but defensive metrics downgrade him for a lack of range and a weak arm.
Hosmer began his career in Kansas City and was a clubhouse leader on the Royals’ teams that won back-to-back American League pennants, including a victory over the Mets in the 2015 World Series. He’s entering his age-33 season and joins the catching platoon of Tucker Barnhart and Yan Gomes among the most experienced players in a young lineup.
He’s owed $13 million from San Diego in each of the next three seasons. There’s an economic offset for the Cubs in adding him, as they are paying Jason Heyward $22 million after releasing him as the end of last season.
Heyward signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers, who are restocking their inventory after losing Trea Turner, Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger to free agency. The Cubs have been active in free agency, signing Jameson Taillon, Drew Smyly, Swanson, Bellinger, Barnhart and Brad Boxberger before Hosmer.
Rizzo posted an .861 OPS in 10 seasons with the Cubs and finished fourth in MVP voting in 2016, when the Cubs won a championship for the first time since 1908. He was never among their highest paid players, however, as he signed a seven-year, $41-million contract in 2013, his first full big-league season, which effectively became a nine-year, $70-million season when the team exercised club options for 2020 and ’21.
