Cincinnati Reds, Mike Moustakas agree on 4-year deal
By Manny Gómez
After betting on himself for two straight seasons, Mike Moustakas finally got his deal. The Cincinnati Reds and Moose have reportedly agreed on a 4-year deal.
The 2019-20 MLB offseason seems to be heating up much sooner than last year. After learning that Jurickson Profar was traded to the San Diego Padres, the Cincinnati Reds decided to make a deal of their own. According to Jon Heyman, the Reds and Mike Moustakas have come to terms on a 4-year deal.
Moustakas is a three-time All-Star who spent 7.5 seasons with the Kansas City Royals, helping the team to secure a World Series in 2015. He would go on to play for the Milwaukee Brewers, where he proved to be valuable at the plate and on the field.
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A natural third baseman, Moustakas filled in at second base when needed for the Brew Crew. He also managed to reach the 30 or more home run mark for the second time in his career in 2019 when he drilled 35 bombs.
For his career, “Moose” earned a reputation for being a defensively sound player with an average bat. For the most part, he was swing-happy, posting an on-base percentage of .307 between 2011-2018. In 2019, however, he posted a .329 OBP, elevating his OPS to .845, a career-high.
According to Ken Rosenthal, Moustakas will play second base for the Reds, rounding out an infield that includes Eugenio Suarez, Jose Peraza, and Joey Votto. Moustakas played close to 360 innings at second for the Brewers in 2019, posting a 0 DRS. While this is a small sample size, it essentially says that he is an average defensive second baseman; he won’t hurt or help you defensively.
Next. Why the Brewers need to trade Josh Hader now. dark
At the end of the day, adding Mike Moustakas moves the Cincinnati Reds one step closer to real contender status in the NL Central. With the Chicago Cubs looking to rebuild and the Brewers losing “Moose” and looking to deal Josh Hader, it’s looking like it might be a two-team race between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Reds.