Kansas City Royals bring back third baseman Mike Moustakas
The Kansas City Royals were able to keep one of their own free agents by bringing back third baseman Mike Moustakas.
At the end of the 2017 season, the Kansas City Royals pending free agents were all taken off the field together as it appeared that Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Alcides Escobar and Mike Moustakas were all headed for greener pastures.
Well, no one could’ve saw this bizarre free agent winter coming. Cain and Hosmer left for the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres respectively. Escobar re-signed with Royals for one year at $2.5 million. Moustakas waited, and waited and waited some more.
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The Royals went bargain hunting by replacing Hosmer and Cain with Lucas Duda and Jon Jay, quality veterans signed for cheap because of the weird market and not terrible replacements for Hosmer and Cain. They won’t have to replace Moustakas either, as the Moose is back loose with the Royals.
Mike Moustakas has agreed to a one-year deal with a mutual second-year option with the Kansas City Royals, sources with knowledge of the deal tell Yahoo Sports. It guarantees him $6.5 million and can max out at $22.7 million.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 9, 2018
Mike Moustakas' deal has a $5.5M salary in 2018 with $2.2 million in performance bonuses. There is a mutual option for $15 million in 2019 with a $1 million buyout.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 9, 2018
Moustakas made his second All-Star team in 2017 and showed he was recovered from his knee injury that limited him to just 27 games in 2016. Moustakas hit .272 with an .835 OPS, a club record 38 homers and 85 RBI with a 1.8 WAR.
Since he was extended a qualifying offer, Moustakas cannot be given one again should he decide to opt-out after this season.
That draft pick compensation had to scare off teams like the New York Yankees who instead are going with younger, cheaper options at the position and potentially saving their money for next off-season.
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In the end, this might be the best thing for Moustakas. Enter the free agent market next year with no pick compensation, even with Josh Donaldson and Manny Machado possibly becoming free agents. For The Kansas City Royals, this ends a long off-season with franchise players gone.
Keeping Moustaks could help appease the fan base after a rough off-season. Maybe the Royals can be a darkhorse candidate in the AL Central for a wild card spot?