The Kansas City Royals have not opened any discussions with first baseman Eric Hosmer about a long-term contract extension, reports Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star.
Eric Hosmer, Royals not discussing extension
The first baseman is a super two player and will hit arbitration for the first time this offseason.
Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
“I’m locked in for another 4 years, and we have guys whose contracts expire before mine,” Hosmer told reporters.
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Hosmer qualified for super two status this offseason, meaning he is entering the first of what will be four seasons of arbitration eligibility. If he continues to show improvement, he could grow expensive quickly. As Hosmer says, however, the team has other players such as Billy Butler, Alcides Escobar, Alex Gordon and James Shields all set to become free agents before Hosmer would.
In recent years, teams have taken to signing young stars to extensions early in an effort to mitigate the cost. The Brewers and Rays both did so with Ryan Braun and Evan Longoria, respectively. The Royals have taken this route in the past as well, with catcher Salvador Perez signing a five year deal following his first partial season in the majors. As a Scott Boras client, Hosmer may be a bit trickier to lock up.
Through his first three seasons, Hosmer, 24, has a 756 career OPS. He took a step forward in 2013, hitting .302/.353/.448 with 17 home runs. He is a former top-10 prospect league-wide as ranked by Baseball America.
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