Mike Moustakas Signs With the Cincinnati Reds

The first major free agent signing of the year in Major League Baseball has taken place. The Cincinnati Reds signed Mike Moustakas to a contract that is four years in length. The total value of the contract is thought to be in the range of $64 million. He is an infielder that has very good power. In fact, he set the Kansas City Royals record for the most home runs in a season with 38. The dollar value of the contract surprised many people. There are many people in the media who cover baseball who believe that the Reds paid too much. However, the Reds are in need of more power because Joey Votto is no longer the dominant player that he used to be.

Mike Moustakas had many great years with the Royals. He helped them to win the World Series. He turned down a qualifying offer that would have paid him $17 million when he was a free agent with the Royals. However, there were no offers for his services. He wound up having to accept an offer of $5 million from the Royals. It seems like he has made up for the $12 million he lost by signing this very lucrative new contract.

Moustakas is not a star by any stretch of the imagination. However, he is a good power bat that you can depend on. He is only average defensively when he is playing at third base. There has been talk of moving him to the outfield. However, he might not have the speed to play that position. The fact that he signed with a National League team means that he will not be able to serve as the designated hitter during his tenure with the Reds. This could be problematic down the road.

The Reds surprised many people by signing Moustakas. Most people did not think that the Reds would be very big players in the free agent market. However, this signing shows that the ownership of the Reds is very serious about competing next year. Whether or not they will be able to do this remains to be seen. Their pitching rotation seems to be in good shape. However, they will have a lot of competition in their own division from the Milwaukee Brewers, the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. It will be interesting to see if the Reds make any more moves.