Trade Central: Padres Send Eric Hosmer, Two Prospects To Red Sox

After trading away seven of their top 11 prospects to acquire Josh Hader, Juan Soto, Josh Bell and Brandon Drury, the Padres had to send away more prospects to unload Eric Hosmer.

The Padres traded Hosmer, High-A infielder Max Ferguson and High-A outfielder Corey Rosier to the Red Sox in exchange for minor league lefthander Jay Groome on Tuesday. The trade marks the end of Hosmer’s disappointing five-year tenure with the Padres after they signed him to a then-franchise record contract.

RED SOX RECEIVE

Eric Hosmer, 1B
Age: 32

Hosmer is far removed from being the all-star and perennial Gold Glove winner he was at his peak with the Royals. He can still make contact and has hit a respectable .272 this season, but his power continues to decline to the point it is among the worst of any first baseman. His 88.2 mph average exit velocity is well below league average and his .391 slugging percentage is the worst of his career. More concerning, Hosmer has become an extreme liability defensively at first base. He fails to get behind the ball on routine grounders, takes awkward approaches to throws in the dirt and frequently costs the team outs with a lack of basic footwork and fundamentals. Though defensive metrics are kinder in their assessments, his poor glovework gets exposed at inopportune times and has shown no signs of improvement despite it being a years-long problem. Hosmer is due about $44 million over the next three seasons and half seasons remaining on his deal, all of which will be paid by the Padres according to BA correspondent Alex Speier. 

Max Ferguson, SS/2B
Age: 23

A fifth-round pick out of Tennessee last year, Ferguson was the Padres No. 23 prospect and ranks third in the minor leagues this year with 55 stolen bases. Ferguson combines plus speed with elite basestealing instincts to be one of the most dangerous baserunners in the minors. He reads pitchers well, gets excellent jumps and is rarely thrown out. His 55 stolen bases have come in 60 attempts this year across both Class A levels. Ferguson has a contact-oriented approach and needs to get significantly stronger to hit enough. He’s hitting just .221 and mostly takes his walks to get on base. Ferguson is a solid defender at second base and can fill in at shortstop as needed. He has enough athleticism and instincts to potentially bounce around the diamond. Ferguson’s speed gives him a plus tool to lean on, but he’s going to have to make harder contact to rise as a utilityman.

Corey Rosier, OF
Age: 22

A 12th-round pick by the Mariners out of UNC Greensboro last year, Rosier was traded to the Padres last offseason as part of the return for Adam Frazier and is now on the move again. He is a contact-oriented hitter with a fluid lefthanded swing and a keen eye for the strike zone. He has plus-plus speed he uses to steal bases and cover ground in center field, where he is an above-average defender. Rosier has well below-average power and has to prove he can make consistent quality contact against better pitching. If he can, he’ll have a chance to be a backup outfielder.

PADRES ACQUIRE

Jay Groome, LHP
Age: 23

The 12th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Groome’s career has been sidetracked by injuries. He missed all of 2018 and most of 2019 after having Tommy John surgery and lost 2020 to the. coronavirus pandemic. After pitching just 66 innings in his first four years after being drafted, he finally stayed healthy in 2021 and took a step forward this year, posting a 3.88 ERA in 19 appearances (17 starts) across Double-A and Triple-A. Groome is still just 23 despite how long he’s been around. His stuff never quite came back post-surgery, but his arsenal is usable. His fastball sits 90-91 mph and touches 94 from the left side, his upper-70s curveball and low-80s changeup are both average pitches and he is developing a slider that flashes promise. Groome has ballooned to 262 pounds and as a result struggles with his control. He has improved his stamina but is still best being limited to five or six innings.