Could Eric Hosmer Be Traded For A New Look Infield?

Eric Hosmer signed a 8-year, $144 million contract with the San Diego Padres back in the 2017 offseason. After being one of the best first baseman and being a contributor to the Kansas City Royals World Series win back in 2016, things have not panned out as much ever since he Hosmer signed with San Diego. Over three seasons with the franchise, Hosmer has regressed in his game by posting just a .262 BA with a .741 OPS. Hosmer was thought to be the first piece of the puzzle to this Padres. Hosmer at best, has been serviceable but he is not living up to his contract.

Spring Training may mean nothing to the fans as they wait for the first pitch of the regular season, but this time of baseball means absolutely everything for players trying to crack the big league roster. A young prospect from Alpharetta, Georgia by the name of C.J. Abrams is trying to do just that. Standing at 6'2", 185 lbs, Abrams does not wow many scouts with his size and appearance. However, he is ranked as one of the top prospects for good reasons. Abrams is known to be a versatile player, as is speed can place him in secondary positions including: SS, 3B and CF. While he has a hot bat in Spring Training, why not give him the call up? Hear me out.

Yes, the infield is stacked with both talent and money. However, with Hosmer being more of an average player since coming to San Diego, other players have brought some interesting debate to the table. Jake Cronenworth, the Padres second baseman who has been a gift for the team has had some playing time at first. In 78.0 innings of work, Cronenworth is yet to make an error. He has made it on the highlight reel a few times as well with impressive snags. Of course it is not the largest sample size, but it is a great one to see starting off. If I were the Padres midway through the season, I would look at trading Hosmer if he does not produce as efficiently again. If a suitor is found, slot Cronenworth over at 1B and call up Abrams to play at second. The Padres can lessen the load on the price of their infield but still keep it at high tier talent.