Red Sox mercifully end the Bobby Dalbec era with latest trade

The Boston Red Sox have a new first baseman, and it is Eric Hosmer following a trade with the San Diego Padres.

The San Diego Padres agreed to a trade with the Washington Nationals for superstar outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell. Eric Hosmer was part of the return package that would go to Washington, but he reportedly exercised his no-trade clause. Even with this apparent hold-up, it would not cancel out the Soto-Bell trade. However, Hosmer does have a new home.

According to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Tribune, Hosmer is being traded from the Padres to the Boston Red Sox. It is unknown how much money the Padres will be paying on the remaining years of Hosmer’s contract with the team.

In return, San Diego will be receiving Jay Groome, as reported by FanSided’s Robert Murray.

Additionally, the Red Sox will get two prospects from the Padres in the deal.

Red Sox acquiring Eric Hosmer in trade with Padres

The Red Sox were obviously one of the 19 teams that were not on Hosmer’s no-trade list. They were able to acquire him and get the Padres to pay off some of his contract. Now, Boston has a veteran and a four-time Gold Glove winner at first base, which likely pushes Bobby Dalbec out. That, and they will not have to start Franchy Cordero at first any more, either.

This season, Hosmer is slashing .272/.336/.391 while recording eight home runs, 40 RBI, and 91 hits in 90 games with the Padres.

Dalbec, on the other hand, recorded a .205 batting average, a .642 OPS, 10 home runs, 29 RBI, 53 hits, and 93 strikeouts. The latter is nearly double of Hosmer’s strikeout total in 2022 (55).

The Padres managed to not only acquire Soto, a superstar under contract through the 2024 season, but also Bell, one of the top sluggers and first basemen on the trading block. With Bell, that pushed Hosmer out, seemingly to play for the Nationals. Instead, Hosmer vetoed it, and is heading to Boston, for 2022 and likely beyond.