It was quite transparent across the baseball world that the San Diego Padres aimed to part ways with first baseman Eric Hosmer before the start of the 2022 season. They did come close to shipping him off to the New York Mets.
As noted by the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, the Padres and Mets were in talks over a four-player trade. In the proposed deal, the Padres would have received Dominic Smith in exchange for Hosmer, Chris Paddack, Emilio Pagan and cash to cover a portion of the current San Diego first baseman’s remaining contract.
In the end, the deal collapsed after the Mets had notable questions regarding Paddack’s medicals. The fourth-year starter dealt with multiple injuries in previous seasons that sidelined him from crucial games, which include missing time last year due to an oblique ailment.
More so, the Mets did not have initial plans to keep Hosmer on the roster had the trade been finalized. Heyman further added that Mets team officials aspired to send off the former Kansas City Royals star in a “second trade that was being discussed simultaneously.”
Even as there was outside chatter that the Padres would consider releasing Hosmer before the season, they opted against doing so, which has turned out to be the right call. The veteran first baseman has turned back the clock this season, posting a .336 batting average to go along with 24 RBI recorded through 36 games played. On the other hand, they traded Paddack to the Minnesota Twins in a deal that hauled them in reliever Taylor Rogers.
The Mets’ concerns on Paddack’s injury history turned out to be quite right, as he will not pitch again this year after undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery.
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