Red Sox

4 things to know about Eric Hosmer, new Red Sox first baseman

Hosmer refused to let the Padres trade him to the Nationals.

Eric Hosmer of the San Diego Padres celebrates in the dugout after scoring against the Detroit Tigers. Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images

By Tom Westerholm

August 2, 2022

The Red Sox completed a curious trade deadline a few hours early, jumping on a deal with the Padres to acquire first baseman Eric Hosmer and a pair of prospects in exchange for Jay Groome — formerly Baseball America’s No. 13 prospect in the team’s minor-league system.

Here are four things to know about Hosmer.

He had to agree to the deal.

The Red Sox, it seems, didn’t set out trying to acquire Hosmer before the day began, but they saw an opportunity. The Padres wanted to make the 32-year-old part of their deal to bring in superstar Juan Soto, but Hosmer had a no-trade clause and refused to revoke it for the lowly Nationals, who boast a 35-69 record and are last in the NL East.

Instead, Hosmer joins a Red Sox team that is … also in last place. But the view from the bottom of the AL East is significantly different, since they are just three games out of the wild-card and six games behind the Blue Jays.

While the Red Sox lost Groome in the deal, they picked up a pair of speedy prospects, including Ferguson who is the No. 23 prospect in the Padres’ farm system per Baseball America. Ferguson recorded 51 stolen bases in 55 attempts through the first half of the season.

The Red Sox also got the Padres to pay $44 million of the remaining money on Hosmer’s contract — a provision that won’t matter much to fans but will certainly make ownership happy. Hosmer can opt out after this season, or he can make $13 million in each of the next three years on a player option.

He fills a crucial hole in the roster.

The Red Sox have been playing first base by committee all year, but Hosmer will slot into a role he has played throughout his career. The former No. 3 pick is batting .272/.336/.391 this season, but he has hit double-digit homers just once in the last three years after ripping no fewer than 18 per season from 2015-2019.

Still, Hosmer is a professional hitter who is in the 85th percentile in both whiff percentage and strikeout percentage, per Baseball Savant, and his expected batting average is in the 65th percentile in MLB. If the Red Sox can unlock his potential again, he could be a highly intriguing addition.

He gives Triston Casas time to arrive on schedule.

The Red Sox, of course, have an incredibly important prospect rising in their ranks at first base — Triston Casas, who is currently playing in Worcester. A monstrous 6-foot-5 presence at first, Casas has 65 power according to Baseball America and projects as a potential All-Star at first base.

So what does the Hosmer acquisition mean for Casas, who is batting .256 with nine homers in 180 at-bats this season with the WooSox?

“Triston’s timetable will be determined by Triston,” Bloom told reporters. “He’s now getting back on track. [Getting Hosmer] allows him to develop at his own pace.”

He is married to a former NESN anchor.

In December, Hosmer married Fox News host Kacie McDonnell. McDonnell covered the Eagles previously, before joining NESN. She made the move to Fox Sports in 2019.