LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. _ Here at the winter meetings, buzz can heighten by the minute. Rumors begat conversation which begat more buzz.
On Tuesday morning, the second day at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, the buzz enveloped free agent Eric Hosmer and the San Diego Padres.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports described the Padres' talks with Hosmer has having "traction." Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that the Padres remain "strongly in (the) mix." One anonymous Padres official told MLB.com's AJ Cassavell that the chatter was "very real."
The Royals, for now, remain in pursuit of Hosmer, even as they signal the need to overhaul their farm system during a lengthy rebuilding process. Yet the Padres, who also remain in rebuild mode, have been among Hosmer's most active suitors _ at least publicly _ in a market that could expand to include Boston and St. Louis, among others.
Hosmer visited San Diego last Thursday and met with Padres officials. Yet there remains some skepticism in the industry about San Diego's ability to land one of the biggest prizes of the offseason.
The Padres, like the Royals, view Hosmer as a potential fit in a more long-term rebuilding process. They have lost 195 games the last two seasons and remain a few years away from contention. They have also never signed a player for more than $100 million. (Hosmer is expected to command offers that approach or exceed $150 million.)
In fact, the Padres' largest contract in club history is an $83 million extension awarded to former Royals prospect Wil Myers, who has settled in at first base. But San Diego general manager A.J. Preller reiterated this week at the winter meetings that Myers would be open to moving positions if the club acquires a first baseman. Myers has a relationship with Hosmer dating back to their days in the Royals' minor-league system.
"He's open to talking about going back to the outfield," Preller said of Myers, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. "The only thing he's really told me is, 'I just want to win. I'd rather win at any position than lose at one locked-in position.' That's a credit to him. It's good when you have a player that that's the way he sees it."
Hosmer, 28, remains one of the top available position-player free agents on the market, behind perhaps only outfielder/designated hitter J.D. Martinez. He batted a career-high .318 with a .385 on-base percentage and .882 OPS while hitting 25 homers in 2017. He also won his fourth Gold Glove while earning his first Silver Slugger.
His combination of youth _ he's hitting the open market just months after his 28th birthday _ and leadership traits burnish his potential value. Yet questions remain about his offensive capabilities _ in seven seasons, he's posted a career .792 OPS and 111 OPS-plus, just 11 percent above league average.
