Ladies and gentlemen, we are about a week away from pitchers
and catchers reporting to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida to
kick off spring training camps for the 2018 season. As the New York Yankees
roster stands now the team is likely to have a pair of rookies on either side
of Didi Gregorius by the time we reach June baseball in Miguel Andujar and
Gleyber Torres, but the good news for Brian Cashman and company is that there
is still time to make a splash. The free agent market is bleak, and players
have to be getting antsy as they await their agents finding them a new home for
the 2018 season as players like Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta, Eric Hosmer, Alex
Cobb and JD Martinez are still available on the free agent market. One would
think that the longer this goes on the more likely the asking price, both in
terms of dollars and years, would have to go down the closer we get to spring
camps and the beginning of the regular season so with that thought process in
mind here is one last shot at getting greedy and improving the team for the
2018 season.
As it stands now many fans are worried about having Miguel
Andujar out there at third base because of his shaky defense, which I
understand after being spoiled by solid defense from Chase Headley and Todd
Frazier in recent years, but Brian Cashman and company seem confident and
willing to let Andujar win the job in spring and learn on the job throughout
the season. If the Yankees are fine with questionable defense then it makes me
wonder if the team should offer a contract to another third baseman available
out there on the free agent market who also has questionable defense, former Kansas
City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas.
Now I know the idea of offering the man they call “Moose
Tacos” isn’t exactly an original idea of mine, but everywhere I have read that
has suggested this has stated they wanted to give Moustakas a one-year deal.
Now just yesterday I voiced my displeasure with the club for letting Todd
Frazier go to the New York Mets on a two-year deal and I want to reiterate
those sentiments here this morning with Moustakas. I am sure many teams have
thought to offer Moustakas a one-year deal with the idea of him building value
for next season’s presumable spending spree on the free agent market that could
include free agents like Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, Clayton Kershaw and
others, but in my opinion that may be the exact reason why Moustakas will NOT
take a one-year deal. Sure, Machado is playing shortstop this year, but I think
his true value and eventual landing spot will be the third base position next
offseason, so why would Moustakas want to compete against that? Wouldn’t it
make more sense for Moustakas to take a two-year deal and presumably be the big-ticket
item at third base all by his lonesome before the 2020 season? I think so.
You have to think that having a patient, yet powerful bat
like Moustakas in the middle of the Yankees lineup in the left-handed friendly
Yankee Stadium would not only make the Yankees happy, but would make Moustakas
a better player as well, at least stats wise. Moustakas hit 38 home runs and drove
in 85 RBI last season for the Royals, a team that was struggling to scratch
runs across the plate, so could you imagine what Moustakas could do with a
combination of Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Giancarlo Stanton protecting him
in the lineup? Can you imagine having that kind of lineup protection with that
kind of left-handed swing with 81 games a year coming inside Yankee Stadium?
Moustakas may hit 50 home runs for all we know.
You will sacrifice average with Moustakas and you will also
sacrifice defense with Moustakas, but I cannot see you getting much more in
either category with Andujar out there for 162 games. That’s not a knock on
Andujar, and yes before you ask I am still comfortable with having Andujar out
there on Opening Day as the Yankees starting third baseman, but I have always
said along the way this offseason that if the team could get better without
going over the luxury tax threshold that they should. New York has roughly $20
million to spend this offseason without going over the cap and signing
Moustakas to a two-year deal worth $30 million keeps the team under the cap while
making them better across the board, in my opinion. Remember, MLB Trade Rumors
predicted Moustakas to sign a five-year deal worth $85 million before the
season with an AAV of $17 million so I may not be that far off.
Moustakas is American League and postseason tested, Andujar
is not. That alone could be worth the investment for a team that is playing
once again for their ultimate goal here in 2018, a World Series Championship.
The team could win it with Andujar, but in my opinion it could be done a lot
easier with a veteran presence like Moustakas out there wearing pinstripes here
in 2018. One last call, get greedy… sign Moustakas to a two-year deal worth $30
million.
