Eric Hosmer Trade Rumors: Mets' Deal with Padres for 1B 'Not Going to Happen'
April 2, 2022
Eric Hosmer is not going to be traded to the New York Mets.
Amid speculation that a deal sending the former All-Star first baseman from the San Diego Padres to Queens was being discussed, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the trade won't happen.
Sherman added the Mets "deliberated for several days" about taking on roughly $24 million in salary for Hosmer before deciding against it.
Per The Athletic's Dennis Lin, Ken Rosenthal and Andy McCullough, one trade concept discussed between the two teams involved Hosmer and Chris Paddack going to New York in exchange for Dominic Smith.
According to Sherman, the Padres would have paid more than $30 million of the $59 million still remaining on Hosmer's contract to facilitate the deal.
The Mets know they need at least one starting pitcher before the start of the regular season. The team announced on Friday that Jacob deGrom, who was scheduled to pitch on Opening Day, will be shut down for at least four weeks due to a stress reaction in his right shoulder.
Meanwhile, Max Scherzer was scratched from pitching in an intrasquad game due to a hamstring issue.
"It's tough to sit here and say, 'absolutely yes' or 'absolutely no,'" Scherzer told reporters when asked about playing in the first series of the regular season. "It's just a day-to-day thing."
San Diego was attempting to solve a lingering issue by enticing the Mets with a talented young pitcher who hasn't lived up to his potential.
The Padres have been trying to trade Hosmer for the past year. He has been a disappointment since signing an eight-year, $144 million deal with the team in February 2018.
Hosmer has a .264/.323/.415 slash line with 61 homers and 269 RBI in 506 games over four seasons with the Padres. Paddack, a top-50 prospect in 2019, had a promising rookie campaign with a 3.33 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 140.2 innings.
Over the past two seasons, Paddack has posted a 4.95 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 157 strikeouts in 167.1 innings.
As things currently stand, the Mets could turn to Chris Bassitt as their Opening Day starter on Thursday against the Washington Nationals if Scherzer can't go.