Report: Royals willing to make serious offer to re-sign Hosmer

Kansas City Royals owner David Glass admitted earlier this year that "it will be difficult" to re-sign Eric Hosmer, a free agent this offseason, but the club at least seems prepared to make an earnest bid to keep him around.

The Royals, who are poised to lose several key players to free agency, are willing to make a serious offer - presumably, nine figures - to re-sign the 27-year-old first baseman, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Having failed to work out an extension with Hosmer this spring, however, a hometown discount doesn't seem to be in the cards.

"It's hard to make it to free agency," Hosmer told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports during spring training. "It's a right that every player earns if they make it that far. We are talking about certain extensions, stuff like that. But the way I see it right now, I just want to make it that far. And if I do make it that far without signing anything, I feel like I deserve that right to see what's out on the market.

"It's not cutting this place out completely. It's earning the right to see what else is out there, seeing my options, seeing what would be the best possible situation for me."

Hosmer, the third overall pick by the Royals in the 2008 draft, enjoyed the finest season of his seven-year career in 2017, putting up a career-best 3.9 WAR with an .881 OPS (131 OPS+) and 24 homers in 158 games. An All-Star for the first time last year, Hosmer has put up more WAR since 2013 than all but 10 first basemen, hitting .291/.351/.448 (115 OPS+) while averaging 19 homers and 31 doubles in 153 games per season over that span. He helped the Royals to an American League pennant in 2014 and a World Series championship the following season, and he's won three Gold Glove Awards.

In addition to Hosmer, Kansas City is set to lose center fielder Lorenzo Cain, third baseman Mike Moustakas, shortstop Alcides Escobar, and left-hander Jason Vargas to free agency this offseason.