Fans and sportswriter are unanimous when it comes to the talent and ceiling of Kansas City Royals first base propect Eric Hosmer. The only question concerning the former first-round draft choice is whether or not his call-up for tonight’s game against Oakland is the right timing.
Some fans might wonder why it even matters, but the financials make all the difference for a small market club like Kansas City, and the Royals timing on this one could cost them millions down the road. Hosmer is likely to earn enough major league playing time to become eligible for arbitration early as a “Super Two” player.
Minor league expert John Sickels says that Hosmer was ready and the timing doesn’t matter when a prospect is hitting .439/.525/.582 at the AAA level. He writes:
If I were the Royals, I would have promoted him, too. He’s apparently too good for the Pacific Coast League, and the team still has a chance to compete this year. I’ve been a Kila Ka’aihue supporter, but I think at this point you simply have to go with Hosmer.
Then again, Scott McKinney from Beyond the Boxscore says it’s the wrong time for Hosmer to emerge since the Royals will lose him a year earlier to free agency and have to pay him more in the process:
It appears that Dayton Moore has either succumbed to the impatience of his owner, the fanbase or himself, or he’s misread how good his team is, or maybe all of the above. Given his track record, I shouldn’t be surprised.
Either way, fans will be pleased having Hosmer at the ML level as the first of several highly touted prospects making their way to Kansas City. The future will tell the story on this timing and on Dayton Moore’s overarching plan.