One-time All-Star first baseman Eric Hosmer has announced his retirement from professional baseball. Hosmer played 13 years in the MLB, suiting up for the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs.

Hosmer played 31 games with the Cubs in the 2023 season. He batted .234 with two homers and 14 RBIs.

After the announcement, Hosmer was congratulated by the Royals, the franchise with whom he spent the first seven years of his career and won a World Series in 2015.

Following his retirement, Hosmer will focus on his newly launched media company, MoonBall Media. As part of the venture, Hosmer is starting a Diggin’ Deep podcast, which he’ll host alongside former pitcher Peter Moylan.

“What we’re doing is digging deep into how people got started in their baseball careers, how something might have happened during their careers that changed them in a big way, things of that nature. That’s going to be something unique and a lot of fun,” said Hosmer in the podcast’s first episode.

Eric Hosmer retires with career stats that include a .276 batting average, 1,753 hits, 198 home runs, and 893 RBIs. He won four Gold Glove Awards and one Silver Slugger Award and has a gold medal from the 2017 World Baseball Classic on his resume.

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The Kansas City Royals believe they have their new franchise star in shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. That became clear on Monday when the Royals locked Witt Jr. to a massive new extension.

According to reports, the two sides agreed on an 11-year, $288.8 million deal. The contract is the largest in Royals’ history and marks the first time that the franchise gave one player a contract that runs for 10 seasons or more.

Reportedly, the agreement gives both sides flexibility down the road. Witt will be able to opt out of the deal after the seventh, eighth, ninth, and 10th year of the deal. The Royals, on the other hand, get a club option that will allow them to add three years and $89 million to the agreement, essentially making it a 14-year, $377 million contract.

Bobby Witt Jr. has just two years of MLB service under his belt but has already shown he is on the path to becoming one of baseball’s biggest stars. Witt finished the 2023 campaign batting .276 with 30 home runs, 96 RBIs, and 49 stolen bases. He became a member of the 30-30 club while leading the AL in triples.

“From the moment I was drafted in 2019, the entire Royals organization and fans have treated me and my family like their own,” Witt said in a statement after the contract was announced. “This city and this team have felt like home since day one, and it’s an honor to have the opportunity to continue to represent all of KC.”

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The Kansas City Royals are moving on from veteran outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. On Monday, the Royals designated Bradley for assignment while selecting OF Dairon Blanco from their Triple-A affiliate Omaha.

The Royals will now have several options when it comes to Bradley’s contract. They can trade him, waive him, or release him. The first two options seem unlikely, considering the player’s struggles so far in 2023.

Bradley signed a minor league contract with the Royals in March and made the 40-man roster at the end of spring training. The 33-year-old player ended up playing 43 games and delivered a disappointing .133 batting average with just one home run and six RBIs.

Jackie Bradley Jr. is best known for his time with the Boston Red Sox, where he was an All-Star in 2016 and helped the franchise win the World Series in 2018. He was especially crucial for Red Sox’s 4-1 win in American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros, receiving the ALCS MVP award for his efforts.

Aside from the Red Sox and the Royals, Bradley also played with Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays during 11 years in MLB. He has a career batting average of .225 with 109 homers and 449 RBIs.

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The Kansas City Royals named Matt Quatraro as their new manager on Sunday. Quatraro will replace Mike Matheny, who was dismissed from his role after the Royals finished the season with a 65-97 record, thereby marking their sixth consecutive losing season.

Formerly the Tampa Bay Rays bench coach, Quatraro was targeted for the managerial role by Royals general manager J.J. Picollo, who viewed Quatraro as a forward-thinking manager with winning experience. This decision was reached soon after Picollo took over the general manager role following Dayton Moore’s dismissal.

“We are extremely excited to have Matt leading our club and core of talent,” Picollo announced following the confirmation of the new manager’s appointment. “Matt has great experiences throughout his career that have prepared him for this. He thoroughly impressed us all during our interview process and is clearly respected across the industry.”

In order to secure the role, Quatraro had to compete with the Royals’ own bench coach, Pedro Grifol, and third base coach Vance Wilson, along with Triple-A Omaha manager Scott Thorman. Other candidates who were considered include Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough and Boston Red Sox bench coach Will Venable.

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The Kansas City Royals gave their manager Mike Matheny a vote of confidence earlier this week by exercising the 2023 club option on his contract. Matheny previously had one year left on the three-year deal he signed ahead of the 2020 season.

Matheny had a challenging two years as the Royals manager, finishing last in AL Central in both 2020 and 2021. However, the franchise has looked past his 100-122 record, taking into consideration that he is leading a rebuilding squad that doesn’t have the pieces to contend just yet.

Issuing a statement after the news was made public, the team president Dayton Moore lauded Matheny’s leadership skills and said the Royals are happy to have such a “tremendous competitor” in the dugout.

“Mike is one of the finest leaders I’ve been around and the Royals are fortunate to have him managing our team,” Moore said. “He is a tremendous competitor who cares deeply about players, the Kansas City community and this great game of baseball.”

Mike Matheny, who played professionally in the MLB for 13 years, is best known for his managerial stint with the St. Louis Cardinals. During his six and a half years with the franchise, he won the NL Central three times and made the World Series in 2013. Matheny left St. Louis during the 2018 season with an overall record of 591 wins and 474 losses.

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Veteran All-Star reliever Wade Davis won’t be part of the free-agent market this offseason. Instead of pursuing a new deal, Davis opted to ride into the sunset and retire from professional baseball.

The news was announced on Wednesday by the Kansas City Royals, with whom Davis spent five out of his 13 seasons in the MLB. The 36-year-old played 40 games in Royals’ uniform in 2021 and had a 0-3 record with two saves, 6.75 ERA, and 38 strikeouts.

Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore issued a statement after the news became official and credited Davis for his role in the franchise’s 2015 World Series run. Davis was the one who recorded the final three outs in Game 5 against the New York Mets to give Kansas City the title.

“Wade, first of all, is a first-class person and first-class competitor,” Moore said. “Without him and his contributions to our pitching staff, I think it’s safe to say we wouldn’t have won a world championship.”

Besides playing for the Royals on two separate occasions, Wade Davis also suited up for the Tampa Bay Rays, the Chicago Cubs, and the Colorado Rockies. He has three All-Star nods while leading the National League in 2018. Davis’ career stats include a 63-55 record, 3.94 ERA, 929 strikeouts, and 141 saves.

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Veteran center fielder Michael A. Taylor parlayed his good 2021 MLB season into a new deal with the Kansas City Royals. The team announced on Wednesday that Taylor inked a two-year extension that will keep him with the organization through the 2023 season.

Taylor initially joined the Royals on a one-year, $1.75 deal in late 2020. His new deal guarantees him a $9 million spread between 2022 and 2023, according to reports. The 30-year-old fielder can earn an additional $500K based on incentives.

Taylor didn’t stand out on the offense for Kansas City this season, batting .244 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs. However, his defense was outstanding. He made a case for being the best defensive player in the league based on advanced metrics like Defensive Runs Saved (21 runs above average) and Outs Above Average (+14).

The Royals will finish the 2021 season below .500, currently sitting at a 72-85 record with five games left to play. But the franchise gave indications that it intends to be competitive in 2022, and locking Taylor in their center field will surely help them achieve that goal.

Michael A. Taylor made his MLB debut in 2014 with the Washington Nationals and was part of the team that won the World Series in 2019. He was released by the franchise following poor at-bats performance during the shortened 2020 season in which he only managed a .196 batting average.

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All-Star catcher Salvador Perez will continue suiting up for Kansas City Royals for years to come. Perez inked a new four-year extension with the organization that will keep him in Kansas City through the 2025 MLB season at least.

Perez, who was set to become a free agent after this season, will reportedly earn $82 million with his new deal. The agreement includes $80 million in salaries and a $2 million buyout in 2026 if the Royals decline their $13.5 million club option.

If these numbers turn out to be right, Perez’s contract would be the largest in franchise history. The previous record was held by outfielder Alex Gordon and his four-year, $72 million deal from 2016.

By earning $20.5 million on a yearly average, Perez also became the third-highest paid catcher in MLB history. He now only trails the five-year, $115.5 million contract that JT Realmuto signed with Philadelphia Phillies in January and Joe Mauer’s eight-year, $184 million extension with Minnesota Twins.

Salvador Perez was given his MLB debut in 2011 and has since established himself as one of the best catchers in the game. He earned six consecutive All-Star nods since 2013 while also earning five Golden Glove and three Silver Slugger Awards.

Perez missed the 2019 MLB season due to a Tommy John surgery but bounced back with an impressive showing in 2020. He finished the campaign with a .333 batting average, 11 home runs, and 32 RBIs while being named AL Comeback Player of the Year and selected into  All-MLB First Team.

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The Kansas City Royals have agreed to a new deal with third baseman Hunter Dozier over the weekend. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the deal will see Dozier earn $25 million in the next four years.

The deal will start in 2021, buying out the player’s arbitration years, with a team option for 2026 that is worth $10 million. Dozier will reportedly also have an opportunity to earn more money through bonuses and escalators.

Dozier previously inked a one-year, $2.72 million deal with Kansas City for the 2021 season, but this contract will also be replaced with the new one.

Dozier had a rough 2020 campaign, missing the first part of the season due to COVID-19 and then struggling to get in form when he returned. He finished the year with a .228 batting average while hitting six homers and adding 12 RBIs in 44 games.

Despite last year’s hiccup, the Royals obviously believe that Dozier can be part of their long-term future. Their optimism comes from his 2019 breakthrough campaign when he led the AL in triples with 10 while batting .279 with 26 home runs and 84 RBIs.

For Dozier, who was Royals’ first-round pick in 2013, it was a no-brainer to take this deal. Despite forgoing the ability to explore the free-agent market or get a salary boost with better performances, the 29-year-old veteran gets financial security and can concentrate on getting his form back to the level it was in 2019.

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Relief pitcher Greg Holland was one of the bright spots of the Kansas City Royals’ beleaguered pitching staff last season, and the team announced on Monday that they have reached an agreement to bring him back in 2021.

Holland, who was one of baseball’s best relievers from 2010 to 2015 with the team and a key part of the Royals’ World Series squad in 2015, came back to Kansas City in 2020 and impressed after struggling over the past few seasons.

The North Carolina native posted an excellent 1.91 ERA in 28 appearances on the season, striking out 31 batters. It was the first time the 35-year-old pitcher’s ERA had finished below 3.50 since 2014.

The Royals got a good deal for their 2021 deal with the right-handed reliever, as his contract has been reported to be worth $2.75 million, a great deal for a team which is in dire need of veteran bullpen arms.

The veteran closer missed the final few games of the 2020 season after suffering an oblique strain, but should be back at full speed for Spring Training here in a couple of months.

Expect Holland to once again be the center piece of Kansas City’s bullpen in 2021.

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One-time All-Star first baseman Eric Hosmer has announced his retirement from professional baseball. Hosmer played 13 years in the MLB, suiting up for the Kansas City Royals, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs.

Hosmer played 31 games with the Cubs in the 2023 season. He batted .234 with two homers and 14 RBIs.

After the announcement, Hosmer was congratulated by the Royals, the franchise with whom he spent the first seven years of his career and won a World Series in 2015.

Following his retirement, Hosmer will focus on his newly launched media company, MoonBall Media. As part of the venture, Hosmer is starting a Diggin’ Deep podcast, which he’ll host alongside former pitcher Peter Moylan.

“What we’re doing is digging deep into how people got started in their baseball careers, how something might have happened during their careers that changed them in a big way, things of that nature. That’s going to be something unique and a lot of fun,” said Hosmer in the podcast’s first episode.

Eric Hosmer retires with career stats that include a .276 batting average, 1,753 hits, 198 home runs, and 893 RBIs. He won four Gold Glove Awards and one Silver Slugger Award and has a gold medal from the 2017 World Baseball Classic on his resume.

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The Kansas City Royals believe they have their new franchise star in shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. That became clear on Monday when the Royals locked Witt Jr. to a massive new extension.

According to reports, the two sides agreed on an 11-year, $288.8 million deal. The contract is the largest in Royals’ history and marks the first time that the franchise gave one player a contract that runs for 10 seasons or more.

Reportedly, the agreement gives both sides flexibility down the road. Witt will be able to opt out of the deal after the seventh, eighth, ninth, and 10th year of the deal. The Royals, on the other hand, get a club option that will allow them to add three years and $89 million to the agreement, essentially making it a 14-year, $377 million contract.

Bobby Witt Jr. has just two years of MLB service under his belt but has already shown he is on the path to becoming one of baseball’s biggest stars. Witt finished the 2023 campaign batting .276 with 30 home runs, 96 RBIs, and 49 stolen bases. He became a member of the 30-30 club while leading the AL in triples.

“From the moment I was drafted in 2019, the entire Royals organization and fans have treated me and my family like their own,” Witt said in a statement after the contract was announced. “This city and this team have felt like home since day one, and it’s an honor to have the opportunity to continue to represent all of KC.”

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The Kansas City Royals are moving on from veteran outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. On Monday, the Royals designated Bradley for assignment while selecting OF Dairon Blanco from their Triple-A affiliate Omaha.

The Royals will now have several options when it comes to Bradley’s contract. They can trade him, waive him, or release him. The first two options seem unlikely, considering the player’s struggles so far in 2023.

Bradley signed a minor league contract with the Royals in March and made the 40-man roster at the end of spring training. The 33-year-old player ended up playing 43 games and delivered a disappointing .133 batting average with just one home run and six RBIs.

Jackie Bradley Jr. is best known for his time with the Boston Red Sox, where he was an All-Star in 2016 and helped the franchise win the World Series in 2018. He was especially crucial for Red Sox’s 4-1 win in American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros, receiving the ALCS MVP award for his efforts.

Aside from the Red Sox and the Royals, Bradley also played with Milwaukee Brewers and Toronto Blue Jays during 11 years in MLB. He has a career batting average of .225 with 109 homers and 449 RBIs.

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The Kansas City Royals named Matt Quatraro as their new manager on Sunday. Quatraro will replace Mike Matheny, who was dismissed from his role after the Royals finished the season with a 65-97 record, thereby marking their sixth consecutive losing season.

Formerly the Tampa Bay Rays bench coach, Quatraro was targeted for the managerial role by Royals general manager J.J. Picollo, who viewed Quatraro as a forward-thinking manager with winning experience. This decision was reached soon after Picollo took over the general manager role following Dayton Moore’s dismissal.

“We are extremely excited to have Matt leading our club and core of talent,” Picollo announced following the confirmation of the new manager’s appointment. “Matt has great experiences throughout his career that have prepared him for this. He thoroughly impressed us all during our interview process and is clearly respected across the industry.”

In order to secure the role, Quatraro had to compete with the Royals’ own bench coach, Pedro Grifol, and third base coach Vance Wilson, along with Triple-A Omaha manager Scott Thorman. Other candidates who were considered include Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough and Boston Red Sox bench coach Will Venable.

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The Kansas City Royals gave their manager Mike Matheny a vote of confidence earlier this week by exercising the 2023 club option on his contract. Matheny previously had one year left on the three-year deal he signed ahead of the 2020 season.

Matheny had a challenging two years as the Royals manager, finishing last in AL Central in both 2020 and 2021. However, the franchise has looked past his 100-122 record, taking into consideration that he is leading a rebuilding squad that doesn’t have the pieces to contend just yet.

Issuing a statement after the news was made public, the team president Dayton Moore lauded Matheny’s leadership skills and said the Royals are happy to have such a “tremendous competitor” in the dugout.

“Mike is one of the finest leaders I’ve been around and the Royals are fortunate to have him managing our team,” Moore said. “He is a tremendous competitor who cares deeply about players, the Kansas City community and this great game of baseball.”

Mike Matheny, who played professionally in the MLB for 13 years, is best known for his managerial stint with the St. Louis Cardinals. During his six and a half years with the franchise, he won the NL Central three times and made the World Series in 2013. Matheny left St. Louis during the 2018 season with an overall record of 591 wins and 474 losses.

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Veteran All-Star reliever Wade Davis won’t be part of the free-agent market this offseason. Instead of pursuing a new deal, Davis opted to ride into the sunset and retire from professional baseball.

The news was announced on Wednesday by the Kansas City Royals, with whom Davis spent five out of his 13 seasons in the MLB. The 36-year-old played 40 games in Royals’ uniform in 2021 and had a 0-3 record with two saves, 6.75 ERA, and 38 strikeouts.

Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore issued a statement after the news became official and credited Davis for his role in the franchise’s 2015 World Series run. Davis was the one who recorded the final three outs in Game 5 against the New York Mets to give Kansas City the title.

“Wade, first of all, is a first-class person and first-class competitor,” Moore said. “Without him and his contributions to our pitching staff, I think it’s safe to say we wouldn’t have won a world championship.”

Besides playing for the Royals on two separate occasions, Wade Davis also suited up for the Tampa Bay Rays, the Chicago Cubs, and the Colorado Rockies. He has three All-Star nods while leading the National League in 2018. Davis’ career stats include a 63-55 record, 3.94 ERA, 929 strikeouts, and 141 saves.

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Veteran center fielder Michael A. Taylor parlayed his good 2021 MLB season into a new deal with the Kansas City Royals. The team announced on Wednesday that Taylor inked a two-year extension that will keep him with the organization through the 2023 season.

Taylor initially joined the Royals on a one-year, $1.75 deal in late 2020. His new deal guarantees him a $9 million spread between 2022 and 2023, according to reports. The 30-year-old fielder can earn an additional $500K based on incentives.

Taylor didn’t stand out on the offense for Kansas City this season, batting .244 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs. However, his defense was outstanding. He made a case for being the best defensive player in the league based on advanced metrics like Defensive Runs Saved (21 runs above average) and Outs Above Average (+14).

The Royals will finish the 2021 season below .500, currently sitting at a 72-85 record with five games left to play. But the franchise gave indications that it intends to be competitive in 2022, and locking Taylor in their center field will surely help them achieve that goal.

Michael A. Taylor made his MLB debut in 2014 with the Washington Nationals and was part of the team that won the World Series in 2019. He was released by the franchise following poor at-bats performance during the shortened 2020 season in which he only managed a .196 batting average.

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All-Star catcher Salvador Perez will continue suiting up for Kansas City Royals for years to come. Perez inked a new four-year extension with the organization that will keep him in Kansas City through the 2025 MLB season at least.

Perez, who was set to become a free agent after this season, will reportedly earn $82 million with his new deal. The agreement includes $80 million in salaries and a $2 million buyout in 2026 if the Royals decline their $13.5 million club option.

If these numbers turn out to be right, Perez’s contract would be the largest in franchise history. The previous record was held by outfielder Alex Gordon and his four-year, $72 million deal from 2016.

By earning $20.5 million on a yearly average, Perez also became the third-highest paid catcher in MLB history. He now only trails the five-year, $115.5 million contract that JT Realmuto signed with Philadelphia Phillies in January and Joe Mauer’s eight-year, $184 million extension with Minnesota Twins.

Salvador Perez was given his MLB debut in 2011 and has since established himself as one of the best catchers in the game. He earned six consecutive All-Star nods since 2013 while also earning five Golden Glove and three Silver Slugger Awards.

Perez missed the 2019 MLB season due to a Tommy John surgery but bounced back with an impressive showing in 2020. He finished the campaign with a .333 batting average, 11 home runs, and 32 RBIs while being named AL Comeback Player of the Year and selected into  All-MLB First Team.

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The Kansas City Royals have agreed to a new deal with third baseman Hunter Dozier over the weekend. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the deal will see Dozier earn $25 million in the next four years.

The deal will start in 2021, buying out the player’s arbitration years, with a team option for 2026 that is worth $10 million. Dozier will reportedly also have an opportunity to earn more money through bonuses and escalators.

Dozier previously inked a one-year, $2.72 million deal with Kansas City for the 2021 season, but this contract will also be replaced with the new one.

Dozier had a rough 2020 campaign, missing the first part of the season due to COVID-19 and then struggling to get in form when he returned. He finished the year with a .228 batting average while hitting six homers and adding 12 RBIs in 44 games.

Despite last year’s hiccup, the Royals obviously believe that Dozier can be part of their long-term future. Their optimism comes from his 2019 breakthrough campaign when he led the AL in triples with 10 while batting .279 with 26 home runs and 84 RBIs.

For Dozier, who was Royals’ first-round pick in 2013, it was a no-brainer to take this deal. Despite forgoing the ability to explore the free-agent market or get a salary boost with better performances, the 29-year-old veteran gets financial security and can concentrate on getting his form back to the level it was in 2019.

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Relief pitcher Greg Holland was one of the bright spots of the Kansas City Royals’ beleaguered pitching staff last season, and the team announced on Monday that they have reached an agreement to bring him back in 2021.

Holland, who was one of baseball’s best relievers from 2010 to 2015 with the team and a key part of the Royals’ World Series squad in 2015, came back to Kansas City in 2020 and impressed after struggling over the past few seasons.

The North Carolina native posted an excellent 1.91 ERA in 28 appearances on the season, striking out 31 batters. It was the first time the 35-year-old pitcher’s ERA had finished below 3.50 since 2014.

The Royals got a good deal for their 2021 deal with the right-handed reliever, as his contract has been reported to be worth $2.75 million, a great deal for a team which is in dire need of veteran bullpen arms.

The veteran closer missed the final few games of the 2020 season after suffering an oblique strain, but should be back at full speed for Spring Training here in a couple of months.

Expect Holland to once again be the center piece of Kansas City’s bullpen in 2021.

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