KC Royals Potential Departures, Vol. 5: Eric Hosmer

May 8, 2017; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer (35) runs out a single during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Many tough choices are going to be made at Kauffman Stadium over the next few months. Eric Hosmer is a big one, and the last potential free-agent we’ll look at here for the KC Royals.

Name: Eric Hosmer

Agent: Scott Boras

Career Numbers:

Importance: Starting first baseman and middle-of-the-order bat

History of Success

Eric Hosmer is the Joe Flacco of MLB first basemen.

Is he elite? Is he not elite? Does he suck? Does he matter more to the KC Royals than he would any other franchise? What’s that worth? Just because you won one title with him, is that an outlier or a foundation to build on?

That’s a lot of questions. There are very few answers. You might feel like Hosmer is the franchise cornerstone that the KC Royals can’t afford to lose lest they fall back into a mid-90s malaise. You could also believe that Hosmer’s presence puts the team a couple of quality bullpen arms and some table-setters at the top of the lineup away from contention.

Or, you might believe he’s a financial liability that could be jettisoned for the betterment of the franchise.

The truth is out there. And it’s liable to cost $160 million to find out.

Schedule