Eric Hosmer Signs Two Year Extension with Royals

Considering that Eric Hosmer and the Kansas City Royals were $2.1 Million apart in the number exchanged for arbitration, it seemed a forgone conclusion that his case would end up before a judge. Add in the fact that Hosmer is represented by Scott Boras, and that suspicion was essentially a certainty.

However, that turned out not to be the case. According to Jeffrey Flanagan of Royals.com, Hosmer and the Royals have agreed on a two year contract extension worth a total of $13.9 Million.

Eric Hosmer also have a chance to earn up to $200,000 in incentives each year of the contract. He would get an additional $50,000 for making an All-Star Game and/or winning a Gold Glove award. Hosmer can also earn another $100,000 should he be named the MVP of the American League, potentially making this deal worth up to $14.3 Million.

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The extension is a bit of a risk for both Hosmer and the Royals. The Royals are banking on Hosmer being able to build off of his success in the postseason, hoping that his performance there will catapult him into being the player that they have expected. Hosmer, meanwhile, is likely leaving money on the table if he does become that player, as he would be due for a sizable raise before the 2016 season.

Hopefully, Eric Hosmer can be the player he was over the last four months of the 2013 season for the Royals. His power had begun to break through, as he hit 16 home runs, and he produced a .318/.367/.494 batting line. Those numbers, coupled with his Gold Glove defense at first, would certainly be worth the price.

Now that the Kansas City Royals and Hosmer have agreed on an extension, every one of the nine players that they had who were arbitration eligible have signed. Considering the differences in price with some of these players, Dayton Moore definitely did a tremendous job to bring everyone into the fold without resorting to a hearing.

The Royals and Eric Hosmer have some built in certainty for the next two seasons. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a long term extension, and Hosmer can remain with the Royals for quite some time to come.

Next: Kelvin Herrera Signs Two Year Deal, Avoiding Arbitration