When all is said and done, the most impactful thing Eric Hosmer does for the Padres franchise might not be a clutch home run, web gem at first base or anything else on the diamond.
Hosmer, according to multiple reports, carries an enormous amount of influence in what could go down as the biggest Major League Baseball trade to date. San Diego appears to have a deal in place with the Washington Nationals to land both Juan Soto and Josh Bell, but the proposed transaction reportedly requires more than both front offices signing off on it.
"Enormous pressure on Hosmer to approve deal, and he might get something more out of it beyond the 3 yrs/$39M he is owed from '23 to '25," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal tweeted Tuesday, roughly six hours before the MLB trade deadline. "Hosmer, Soto, Bell all represented by Scott Boras, as are (McKenzie) Gore and (James) Wood. Players generally need to be compensated to waive no-trade protection."
Rosenthal added: "Soto deal will not be official until Hosmer agrees to waive his no-trade stipulation to the Nationals. To this point he has not, according to a source. Negotiations almost certainly taking place."
MLB Network's Jon Morosi followed up with a report that suggests the potential Soto megadeal could become even more complex.
"One scenario under discussion between #Padres and Eric Hosmer's reps: Hosmer may request that he end up with a team other than the #Nats as part of a 3-team deal," Morosi tweeted. "The situation remains fluid."
While the Hosmer factor appears to have commanded extra rounds of negotiations, all signs point to Soto ultimately wearing a Padres uniform. The New York Post's Jon Heyman is reporting that "the deal will get done either way."
