[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by alnorth

The first 3 years (or 2 if he qualifies as a "super 2", which Hosmer might because he was up for a lot of 2011), there is really no negotiation. The team could literally give them the league minimum and say take it or leave it, and the player has no choice.

During the 4th through 6th year (or 3rd through 6th year if super 2), the player is arbitration-eligible. He still wont get paid like a free agent, but he'll start to get serious raises similar to other arbitration-eligible players around the league who have similar stats and with the same amount of service time.

After 6 years, you are a free agent. Right now, Hosmer has zero full years, but his fraction of a year is big enough that he may qualify as a super 2 and get to arbitration 1 year early before the 2014 season. That he gets more than league minimum this year and in 2013 (and 2014 if he's not a super 2) would be due solely through a gesture of goodwill from the Royals. (throwing him an extra few hundred thousand is easy, and if there's any chance that he appreciates it, its worth it)

We've got him for at least the next 6 years through the 2017 season unless we trade him, so a 7 year deal right now would just buy out one year of free agency.

Thanks