Trade→Release, another release, Kim Ha-seong’s old teammate falls… Minimum salary is also a waste

The downward spiral continues for first baseman Eric Hosmer, 34, who was a fixture with the San Diego Padres until last July. Since being traded last summer, he has been released twice in less than a year.

The Cubs designated Hosmer for assignment on Aug. 26. They designated him for assignment (DFA) on Nov. 20, but when no team claimed him during the waiver period, they parted ways with him via outright release.

Hosmer, who signed with the Cubs in January, struggled in 31 games, batting just 2-for-22 (94 at-bats) with two home runs, 14 RBIs, six doubles, 25 walks, a .280 on-base percentage, a .330 slugging percentage and a .610 OPS. In seven games in May, he was 1-for-18 (4-for-22) with one home run and a .399 OPS.

Even before coming to the Cubs, Hosmer was released by the Boston Red Sox. He came to Boston from San Diego via trade last August, but struggled with a back injury, going 2-for-4 (11-for-50) with no home runs and four RBIs for a .631 OPS in 14 games 메이저사이트.

A former highly touted left-handed hitting first baseman who was selected by the Kansas City Royals with the third overall pick in the 2008 draft, Hosmer made his big league debut in 2011. He was a member of Kansas City’s 2015 World Series championship team and has won four Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger. He’s also a one-time All-Star.

Hosmer increased his value with back-to-back 25-homer seasons in 2016 and 2017, and in February 2018, he signed a massive free agent contract with San Diego for eight years and $144 million. However, he hasn’t lived up to his billing and has been a liability for San Diego since 2011, as his performance has plummeted.

San Diego traded Hosmer to Boston in August of last year, agreeing to pay most of the remaining $36.78 million of his $39 million salary through 2025. But the Red Sox released Hosmer, who cost them next to nothing, and the Cubs, who signed him to a major league minimum salary of $720,000, also gave up on him.

He hasn’t produced enough to warrant the minimum salary. It’s his third straight year of struggles, and he’s in his mid-30s, so it’s hard to see him rebounding. Hosmer’s $13 million salary next year and the year after is also due to San Diego, so any team that wants him will only have to pay the minimum salary, but even that won’t be easy.

Through 13 seasons in the majors, Hosmer’s career numbers through this year are: .277/.366/.173 with 198 homers, 893 RBIs, and a .893 OPS.

The downward spiral continues for first baseman Eric Hosmer, 34, who was a fixture with the San Diego Padres until last July. Since being traded last summer, he has been released twice in less than a year. The Cubs designated Hosmer for assignment on Aug. 26. They designated him for assignment (DFA) on Nov. 20,…