By Jordan Long
The Colorado Rockies are at spring training. In Cactus League play, they are 5-6. The Rockies though have added another veteran to the ball club, Mike Moustakas, who agreed to a minor league deal.
Moustakas is a 13-year veteran. He has played for Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Cincinnati. For the past 3 years, he was with the Cincinnati Reds. Last season in a Reds’ uniform Moustakas was limited to 78 games due to a calf injury. He was still fairly productive at the plate hitting .214 with 25 RBI’s and 7 home runs. Moustakas could also hit the ball into the gap with 12 doubles.
Last year, he played 1st and 3rd base. Moustakas was placed at 1st for 24 games without an error. At 3rd base he played 25 games with 1 error.
Moustakas wanted to make sure he was fully healthy before he made any kind of decision. According to msn.com, Moustakas said, “In the beginning of the offseason, I wanted to make sure I was healthy before I came back and played. I wanted to make sure I got healthy and found my way back to 100 percent.
The Rockies knew they needed infield help. Their expected 2nd baseman, Brendan Rodgers, might miss the whole season with a dislocated shoulder. His injury caused more damage than anticipated so surgery is next for him, putting his season in doubt. Moustakas could take Rodgers’s spot and be the everyday 2nd baseman for Colorado if he makes the ball club.
This is a low-risk high reward move for the Rockies. Playing well could earn Moustakas a large contract. Being injured and out most of the year won’t help his cause. The Rockies might move on from him if that is the case. Colorado would like to improve on their 68-94 record from last year. Moustakas could be part of the answer.
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