Padres officially sign Hosmer to 8-year, $144M contract

The San Diego Padres announced they have officially added first baseman Eric Hosmer on an eight-year deal worth $144 million, which includes an opt-out following the fifth season.

"We're truly excited to have Eric as part of the Padres organization," general manager A.J. Preller stated in the team's press release Monday. "His resume speaks for itself. Eric has been a winner throughout his career, both as an integral part of a championship team and as a player who's earned a tremendous reputation on and off the field. We believe his leadership and passion for the game will be invaluable as we work towards our goal of a World Series championship."

The contract is the largest in Padres history, and likely moves star first baseman Wil Myers to the outfield.

Hosmer, 28, spent his entire seven-year career as a member of the Kansas City Royals, helping lead the club to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2014 and 2015, punctuated by the team's first championship since 1985.

Over those seven years, Hosmer posted a .284/.342/.439 slash line in 1048 games. The first baseman is coming off of his best season, managing an .882 OPS with 25 homers and six stolen bases.

Interestingly, in odd years, Hosmer has totaled 11.8 WAR while slumping during even years, costing his team 1.8 WAR, according to FanGraphs.

Hosmer joins a Padres club that finished fourth in the National League West last year, losing 91 games. The team hasn't made the postseason since 2006 and has never won a championship, but boasts one of baseball's best farm systems.