The San Diego Padres may be on the verge of agreeing to pay first baseman Eric Hosmer’s compensation. The New York Mets were the lucky recipients.
Hosmer’s deal is up in four years and $59 million, and while he can still play first base, it’s difficult for a team like San Diego to constantly add to their roster when he’s blocking a major chunk of their luxury tax money.
A.J. Preller’s ability to acquire something in return for Hosmer’s is astounding, and it appears he’s on his way. If a deal is reached, the Padres may receive New York slugger Dom Smith in exchange.
Smith had a poor season last year, with a.667 OPS in 145 games, but he’s only a year removed from earning MVP votes. The Padres are hoping for a turnaround.
If #Mets do this deal with the #Padres they also would get reliever Emilio Pagan and SD would be eating a significant amount of Hosmer’s deal plus trading Paddack to NYM
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) April 2, 2022
The Mets, on the other hand, would be further pushed into the luxury tax as a result of this transaction. They would, however, gain much-needed pitching help, as Padres starter Chris Paddack is said to be a crucial component of any such deal. In addition to Paddack, reliever Emilio Pagan may be moved to New York.
The Contract with Eric Hosmer
As previously established, Hosmer’s contract has only four years and $59 million left on it. It might be a massive financial issue for baseball’s richest owner, depending on how much New York is willing to take on.
Payroll for the Mets
Cohen made it obvious during the previous CBA discussions, which resulted in an MLB lockout, that he was unconcerned with the luxury tax. As a result, a “Steve Cohen Tax” was enacted to further discourage the Mets from disrupting the competitive balance.
The Mets are desperate because of Jaco deGrom’s injury
The Mets are in desperate need of pitching, with deGrom probably out indefinitely and Max Scherzer missing Opening Day due to a hamstring issue. If Pagan and Paddack are the players returning to New York in the trade, they can supply that information.