This offseason, the one player that has been Padres’ fans minds has been former Royals’ first baseman Eric Hosmer. Multiple reports have linked the two together and for the most part, San Diego has seemed like the favorite to land the All-Star first baseman.

Padres’ fans are rightfully excited as Hosmer has proven to be one of the best hitters in the MLB. Over his seven year career Hosmer has appeared in 1,048 games, hitting .284 with 127 home runs, 566 RBIs and 60 stolen bases. He was voted to the 2016 All-Star Game, winning MVP of the game in the process. Hosmer is also a four-time Gold Glove winner, one-time Silver Slugger winner and a member of the 2015 World Series Champion Royals.

Signing Hosmer would be a change of pace signing for the Padres. Currently embarked in a rebuild, not many expect them to dole out a six-figure contract for a name-brand free agent. However as San Diego looks to go from cellar dweller to playoff contender, signing Hosmer would allow them to take their rebuild to the next level.

But even though the Padres have known interest, not much has been known in terms of other potential suitors or when he might sign. Much more information was made clear when the Red Sox signed first baseman Mitch Moreland.

For starters, Boston was seen as the Padres biggest competition for Hosmer. After the Yankees went all out to land Giancarlo Staton, the Red Sox were expecting to use some of their money in a rebuttal landing a big bat.

With them now out of the first base market, it appears as if the Padres are Hosmer’s only fit. Of course the Royals could try to re-sign their star, but with them more headed towards a rebuild it seems unlikely. It’s also possible that other teams jump in if his price were to come back.

For now, it seems as if Hosmer to the Padres is a lock. The only question remaining is if San Diego is going to act quick to sign him or potentially let him walk away when his price drops.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com was able to reveal the answer in a recent article. When discussing the ramifications of Moreland to the Red Sox, he wrote:

Hosmer still has plenty of suitors, with the Padres and Royals leading the way. Two industry sources said Monday they expect San Diego to turn up the heat to try to get Hosmer signed before Christmas.

Per Fiensand, the Padres plan on doing whatever they can to sign Hosmer by Christmas. As of this writing, Christmas is just five days away, meaning Hosmer to San Diego could be happening any day now.

For most Padres’ fans, that’s quite exciting.

Seems like the fanbase is a bit split, so #Padres fans, do you want the team to sign Eric Hosmer? — Friars On Base (@FriarsOnBase) December 15, 2017

It will be interesting to see how many years/dollars Hosmer gets on his deal. It has been reported that he was looking for around $200 million, which may be a bit too steep for small market San Diego. However the Padres seem serious in their pursuit and seem to be closing in on a deal for the All-Star first baseman.

For now, Padres’ fans are sold on the idea of Hosmer. They’re intrigued by the idea of landing a big-name free agent, and the offseason cannot continue until they land their big fish.

It appears as if the Padres are serious about landing the star first baseman and if they get their wish, Eric Hosmer will be in San Diego by Christmas.