KC Royals Potential Departures, Vol. 5: Eric Hosmer

So are you advocating dealing a still-in-his-prime All-Star for 30 cents on the dollar just because it’s unlikely the KC Royals can afford him? Letting him walk and getting pick(s)? Or fighting the good fight and hoping to re-sign him?

Dayton Moore is in a tight spot here. By the time the dust settles, Hosmer may be the easiest guy to re-sign of the crop of potential KC Royals free agents. And Moore can’t afford to let everybody bounce.

But the Royals can’t get into a bidding war with any of baseball’s big guns. David Glass has begun investing in the franchise, but we’re not going toe-to-toe with the Yankees and Red Sox just yet. And you can never tell which lower-market team decides to go all-in on Hosmer and hope they can build everything else out around him. I’d fight for him, but I wouldn’t mortgage the future for him either.

Likelihood of being traded: 15 percent

Return on investment (if traded): Guhhhh… D.J. Peterson, Thyago Vieira and some international bonus pool money from the Mariners? That’s awful.

Future Contract: Somewhere between multi-year deal in Japan and Chris Davis’ deal on steroids. Speculating on what a somewhat highly regarded first baseman will get all depends on which cash-rich, sense-poor team decides to ruin things for everyone else.

Next: Vol. 4: Moose

If the deal is in the $15 million a year range, I expect the KC Royals to be players in the talks. Too much more would be too bitter a pill to swallow.