SAN DIEGO (AP) — Eric Hosmer and the San Diego Padres finalized their $144 million, eight-year contract Monday night.The team announced the signing after Hosmer passed his physical. The first baseman, who spent his first seven major league seasons with Kansas City before becoming a free agent this winter, can opt out of the deal after five years.The contract is the largest in Padres history.Hosmer gets a $5 million signing bonus payable within 30 days of the contract being approved by the commissioner's office. His salary is $20 million each year from 2018-22 and would be $13 million annually from 2023-25 if he doesn't terminate the deal.A four-time Gold Glove winner and 2016 All-Star, Hosmer will be introduced during a news conference Tuesday morning at Padres camp in Peoria, Arizona.In a statement, Padres Executive Chairman Ron Fowler and General Partner Peter Seidler called the move "a significant moment in Padres history.""The intangibles and experience that he brings to the table will be vital as we continue the development of our young club and strive to bring a championship to deserving Padres fans everywhere," they said.San Diego general manager A.J. Preller said Hosmer "has been a winner throughout his career" and his resume "speaks for itself.""We believe his leadership and passion for the game will be invaluable," Preller said.The 28-year-old Hosmer batted a career-high .318 in 2017 and matched his best from the previous season with 25 home runs. He drove in 94 runs and scored 98 for the Royals last year. He also had a career-best .385 on-base percentage.San Diego went 71-91 last season and finished fourth in the NL West, above only San Francisco. The rebuilding Padres, with one of the top-rated farm systems in baseball, haven't been to the playoffs since 2006.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball