Report: Royals discouraged by chances of re-signing Hosmer
The free-agent market hasn't made much noise this offseason, with only a handful of significant signings reported to date.
One team that has been stymied is the Kansas City Royals. One of their primary goals has been to re-sign first baseman Eric Hosmer, but FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman says they seem to have grown discouraged in their pursuit. With bigger deals apparently expected for the slugging free agent, the team reportedly doesn't seem hopeful of their chances.
Hosmer has been linked to the San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, and Boston Red Sox since the conclusion of the postseason.
Related: Royals willing to make serious offer to re-sign Hosmer
Should he sign elsewhere, the Royals will be awarded a compensatory draft pick because Hosmer rejected the team's $17.4-million qualifying offer. Former Royals Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas also rejected qualifying offers from Kansas City.
Drafted third overall by the Royals in 2008, Hosmer has spent all seven of his major-league seasons with the team. Over 1,048 career games, he has hit .284/.342/.439 with 127 home runs and 566 RBIs. A symbol of durability, he has never played fewer than 128 games, which came in his rookie season.