Padres Trade Eric Hosmer to Red Sox After Rejected Deal to Nats

The Padres shipped the veteran first baseman to Boston after he initially vetoed a deal to Washington.

Eric Hosmer is on the move after all.

The veteran first baseman was widely reported to be headed from the Padres to the Nationals as part of a deal sending Juan Soto and Josh Bell from Washington to San Diego. However, Hosmer’s inclusion in the deal was contingent on his waiving a limited no-trade clause in his contract, which he wasn’t willing to do.

San Diego then substituted Luke Voit for Hosmer to complete the blockbuster swap with Washington. But Hosmer remained expendable to the Padres after the acquisition of Bell at first base.

The Padres eventually found a suitor for Hosmer in the Red Sox, a deal first reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego will pay “a significant portion” of the $44 million remaining on an eight-year, $144 million contract Hosmer signed prior to the 2018 season, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Boston is sending minor league starting pitcher Jay Groome to the Padres in exchange for Hosmer, ESPN reported. Minor leaguers Max Ferguson and Corey Rosier are headed from the Padres to the Red Sox as part of the deal, according to Mass Live.

Hosmer, 32, batted .265/.325/.411 with 69 home runs and 309 RBIs over 4 1/2 seasons with the Padres. He played the first seven seasons of his MLB career with the Royals, winning a World Series with Kansas City in 2015.

Groome, 23, was the No. 12 selection in the first round of the 2016 MLB draft by Boston. He’s 4–5 with a 3.59 ERA this season with 96 strikeouts and 45 walks in 92.2 innings at Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester.

Ferguson, 22, was a fifth-round draft pick out of the University of Tennessee in 2021. The infielder is hitting .221/.365/.358 with six homers, 50 RBIs and 55 stolen bases this season at Class-A Lake Elsinore and High-A Fort Wayne.

Rosier, 22, was drafted by the Mariners out of UNC-Greensboro in the 12th round last year. He’s batting .263/.381/.396 with six homers, 37 RBIs and 33 stolen bases this season at High-A Fort Wayne.

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