Atlanta Braves third option
By Fred Owens
In a strange way the Mets signing a third baseman and a vanishing market could create an opportunity for the Atlanta Braves.
Many felt Todd Frazier a good fit for the Atlanta Braves third base role but Monday the veteran inked a two-year deal with the Mets. That small deal did more than mark the end of the idea David Wright would ever return to that role. It also eliminated one of the few landing remaining landing spots for Mike Moustakas.
Once power-ranked sixth on the MLBTR’s top 50 free agent list, Moustakas remains unsigned with less than two weeks left before spring training. This odd hot stove season and Frazier signing for a year and $16M less than Trade Rumors projected may make Moose amenable to a different kind fo deal altogether.
The Moose is loose and no one cares
Last season Moustakas had a career year. He played 148 games, hit 38 home runs, struck out just 15.% of the time finishing the season with 114 wRC+ and a wOBA of .345. No one believed Baltimore would trade Manny Machado or Toronto would trade Josh Donaldson so at 29 years old, Moose was the best third available; at least at first glance.
Dayton Moore said the Royals didn’t try to extend Moustakas because, “. . .(he had) places he wanted to play. It was clear from the beginning that (the Royals) weren’t a high priority.” Third base in Anaheim and San Francisco looked likely and the Mets needed a real third baseman instead of Jose Reyes or Asdrubal Cabrera.
The Cardinals wanted a power bat and could use him at third and of course everyone knew the Atlanta Braves would jump on him right away. Then:
- The Angels signed Zack Cozart
- The Giants traded for Evan Longoria
- The Mets signed Frazier
- The Cardinals weren’t interested
- The Atlanta Braves can’t afford him
The music is about to stop and there’s no seat for Moustakas . Why?
The hot stove turned into a broken fan heater this winter. Lots of factors brought it on but it isn’t difficult to identify three factors that came together to keep Moustakas unemployed. I call them the two Bs; belief and Boras.