Report: Cubs grant Eric Hosmer unconditional release originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The Chicago Cubs have granted first baseman Eric Hosmer his unconditional release shortly after the team designated him for assignment, according to a report from MLB.com's Tim Stebbins.
Hosmer, 33, will now be free to join any other club for the prorated league minimum salary, where the veteran could provide a team with left-handed depth and a mentor with championship pedigree.
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The Cubs had taken a flyer on Hosmer heading into 2023 as both a placeholder first baseman and a veteran clubhouse presence with capability of adding offensive pop from the left side.
Unfortunately for both parties, Hosmer's short tenure with the Cubs did not pan out, marking a continuation of Hosmer's rather pedestrian seasons that date back to 2018, his first year in San Diego after signing an eight-year, $144 million deal with the club.
In 31 games with the Cubs in 2023, Hosmer was 22-for-94 with five extra-base hits and 14 RBI, hitting just .234/.280/.330, amounting to a career low 67 OPS+.
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Outside of a strong campaign in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when Hosmer hit nine home runs and drove in 36 runs with a 132 OPS+ in 36 games, the veteran's offensive numbers have hovered around league-average at best.
Hosmer's performance with the Cubs even marked a noticeable decline from his 2022 production, which saw the Padres trade him to the Boston Red Sox after initially attempting to trade him to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Juan Soto, a deal that was eventually completed.
In 2022, Hosmer finished with eight home runs and 44 RBI alongside a 107 OPS+ in 104 games, of which just 14 were with the Red Sox following the early August trade.
While Hosmer remains incredibly inexpensive for a team to pick up, it is fair to wonder if this could be the end of the road for the veteran first baseman.
If so, a career of two American League pennants, a World Series title, four Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger and an All-Star Game MVP award is nothing to be ashamed of.
In 1,689 career games, Hosmer has compiled 812 runs, 1,753 hits, 322 doubles, 198 home runs and 893 RBI, with a .276/.335/.427 line.
Hosmer currently boasts a career 107 OPS+, with the best year of his career coming in his final season with the Kansas City Royals in 2017, when Hosmer posted an .882 OPS with 192 hits, finishing 14th in American League MVP voting.
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