A fan-favorite from the Royals is on the market.
The Cincinnati Reds designated third baseman Mike Moustakas for assignment on Thursday, despite owing him $22 million over the last year of his contract plus a buyout. The 34-year-old hit .214/.295/.345 with 7 home runs in 78 games for them last year. He spent just 25 games at third base, spending more time at first base and DH.
Moustakas was a two-time All-Star with the Royals, and set a then-club record with 38 home runs in 2017. What ended up happening is that the Royals traded him to Milwaukee that summer for outfielder Brett Phillips and pitcher Jorge Lopez. Moustakas returned to the Brewers on another one-year deal and was named to his third All-Star team, smashing 35 home runs for Milwaukee in 2019.
His performance with the Brewers earned him a lucrative four-year, $64 million deal with the Reds before the 2020 season. He was past his prime, however, and the deal is looked upon as a bust. Over the next two seasons, injuries have limited him to just 184 games over three seasons with the Reds, and he has hit just .216/.300/.383 and been worth 1.8 wins below replacement player, according to Baseball Reference.