Former Royals star Eric Hosmer announces retirement
The former All-Star first baseman and post-season hero embarks on a new venture.
Former Royals All-Star first baseman Eric Hosmer announced his retirement today on his new podcast Diggin’ Deep. Hosmer enjoyed a 13-year career with the Royals, Padres, Red Sox, Cubs, with 1,753 career hits. He was a four-time Gold Glove winner, won All-Star Game MVP in 2016, and won a Silver Slugger in 2017.
Hosmer was originally the third overall pick in 2008 by the Royals, and was up by 2011, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting that year. He spent seven seasons with the Royals, and was best known for his performance in the 2014 and 2015 post-seasons. He went 3-for-4 in the pivotal 2014 Wild Card game with a 12th-inning triple and the game-tying run. He had a clutch bloop single in Game 2 of the 2014 ALDS against Houston, and his eighth-inning RBI single in Game 6 of the 2015 ALCS against Toronto scored Lorenzo Cain from first for the game-winning run. He is perhaps best known for his aggressive run home in Game 5 of the World Series that year against the Mets, scoring on a routine grounder to David Wright.
Hosmer left the Royals after 2017, reportedly turning down a $100 million contract to sign an eight-year, $144 million contract with the Padres. Hosmer was league average in San Diego, but his power fell off and he was traded to Boston in 2022 in a salary dump, and was released by them at the end of the year. After just 31 games with the Cubs last year, he was released in May. Hosmer says he received offers this off-season, but decided instead to call it a career.
“I’m a first baseman, I’m a left-handed hitter. there’s not much value I can a team unless I’m playing 150 something games throughout the year. And I’m at the point now where I don’t feel like I can do that. My body can’t withhold that. So the playing times are unfortunately over, which I’m cool with.”
Hosmer and former Royals minor leaguer Anthony Seratellia announced the launch of a new media company, MoonBall Media. The company will produce his new podcast with former Royals reliever Peter Moylan. The podcast will be dedicated to talking to people within the game of baseball and revealing what happens in clubhouses and in the business of the game.