Welcome back, Mike Moustakas!
The free agent third baseman will be back in a Milwaukee Brewer uniform for 2019, with the club negotiating for an option on 2020.
This is good news for Milwaukee fans. Moustakas was an excellent pickup by the Brewers last July, acquiring him from the Kansas City Royals. With Milwaukee, he batted .256 with eight home runs, 33 RBI and a .767 OPS in 54 regular season games. He batted .364 in the three-game sweep of Colorado before cooling off against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
It seems that Moose is also a good clubhouse guy, adding to a solid team chemistry.
Lost in this, though, might be the sacrifice of Travis Shaw. Though a third baseman by trade, one who had never played anywhere else in the majors, Shaw made the move across the diamond to second base.
It's often said that "there is no 'I' in team". And with Shaw, this is clear. Here's a veteran who could have balked -- many players in the past have said no way to a change of positions. Yet, for the good of the TEAM, Shaw stepped up. He played the position pretty well last year, and I expect that will continue this spring as he spends more time at second.
This gives Manager Craig Counsel a little more flexibility with his lineup AND lets 22-year-old Keston Hiura more time to season in the minors. Hiura is thought to be the second baseman of the future for the Brewers. Certainly doesn't hurt him, or the Brewers, to have a little more seasoning.
A win-win for Moustakas, Shaw and the Brewers.
Monday, February 18, 2019
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Has Baseball Finally Figured It Out?
Spring training began this week with pitchers and catchers reporting in Arizona and Florida.
Among the missing are two of the bigger names in free agency -- OF Bryce Harper and SS Manny Machado, who are both represented by agent Scott Boras (NOT the most popular guy with team owners). Also absent is 3B Mike Moustakas, who could still re-up with the Milwaukee Brewers, who traded for him during their amazing 2018 stretch run.
These are highly productive every-day ballplayers without a job as spring training begins. Granted, they probably need less time to get season-ready than pitchers. But the fact that they are still on the open market is truly amazing.
Perhaps the Powers That Be in Baseball have finally figured out that long-term, big-money contracts are not the way to go. Perhaps the days of the 10-year deal (Alex Rodriquez, Albert Pujols) might be over. The worst of these deals was Pujols, who the California Angels signed in 2012 (at age 32) to a 10-year deal worth $240 million. This albatross won't expire until 2022, and the 39-year-old Pujols is still owed $87 million.
Ouch!
I think you'll see more short-term contacts, contracts in the two-to-four year range, with club and player options after a couple years. Better for teams in the long run, and players will always get paid.
Good example of this? The one-year deal the Brewers signed catcher Yasmani Grandal to. More club-friendly, and if he has a stellar season, then Grandal will make more on his next contract.
Among the missing are two of the bigger names in free agency -- OF Bryce Harper and SS Manny Machado, who are both represented by agent Scott Boras (NOT the most popular guy with team owners). Also absent is 3B Mike Moustakas, who could still re-up with the Milwaukee Brewers, who traded for him during their amazing 2018 stretch run.
These are highly productive every-day ballplayers without a job as spring training begins. Granted, they probably need less time to get season-ready than pitchers. But the fact that they are still on the open market is truly amazing.
Perhaps the Powers That Be in Baseball have finally figured out that long-term, big-money contracts are not the way to go. Perhaps the days of the 10-year deal (Alex Rodriquez, Albert Pujols) might be over. The worst of these deals was Pujols, who the California Angels signed in 2012 (at age 32) to a 10-year deal worth $240 million. This albatross won't expire until 2022, and the 39-year-old Pujols is still owed $87 million.
Ouch!
I think you'll see more short-term contacts, contracts in the two-to-four year range, with club and player options after a couple years. Better for teams in the long run, and players will always get paid.
Good example of this? The one-year deal the Brewers signed catcher Yasmani Grandal to. More club-friendly, and if he has a stellar season, then Grandal will make more on his next contract.
Friday, February 8, 2019
NFL Combine Important Shopping Stop For Packers
For second-year General Manager Brian Gutekunst, the NFL Combine set for Feb. 26-March 4 will be an important one.
Adding to the defensive cupboard for DC Mike Pettine, giving quarterback Aaron Rodgers a few extra weapons, adding to the overall quality speed and depth of Coach Matt LaFleur's first the team. All are keys for Gutenkunst and his scouts.
The Packers have six picks in the first four rounds, two in the first round -- 12th and 30th. That means six of the top 128 players -- three of the top 75 -- in the country will be available. Every pick could be a difference-maker.
Here's a name you may want to track heading into the combine and the draft. Louisiana Tech's Jaylon Ferguson, three-time All-Conference USA pick with more career sacks and tackles for loss to his credit than any other active FBS player. A fifth-year senior from Saint Francisville, LA, the 6-5, 262 pound edge rusher finished his Louisiana Tech career with 45 sacks, thanks to 17.5 in his final season. He broke the career record of 42.5 set by Terrell Suggs of Arizona State University.
Any Packer fan who watched the team struggle defensively all season knows the team needs some speed coming off the edge. Ferguson will give Green Bay that speed. And I wouldn't be surprised if another early pick went with a speedy outside linebacker.
Adding to the defensive cupboard for DC Mike Pettine, giving quarterback Aaron Rodgers a few extra weapons, adding to the overall quality speed and depth of Coach Matt LaFleur's first the team. All are keys for Gutenkunst and his scouts.
The Packers have six picks in the first four rounds, two in the first round -- 12th and 30th. That means six of the top 128 players -- three of the top 75 -- in the country will be available. Every pick could be a difference-maker.
Here's a name you may want to track heading into the combine and the draft. Louisiana Tech's Jaylon Ferguson, three-time All-Conference USA pick with more career sacks and tackles for loss to his credit than any other active FBS player. A fifth-year senior from Saint Francisville, LA, the 6-5, 262 pound edge rusher finished his Louisiana Tech career with 45 sacks, thanks to 17.5 in his final season. He broke the career record of 42.5 set by Terrell Suggs of Arizona State University.
Any Packer fan who watched the team struggle defensively all season knows the team needs some speed coming off the edge. Ferguson will give Green Bay that speed. And I wouldn't be surprised if another early pick went with a speedy outside linebacker.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Give The Devil His Due
With the New England Patriots winning Super Bowl LIII yesterday, I think all the credit goes not to quarterback Tom Brady, but to Head Coach Bill Belichick.
His defensive schemes, thanks to coordinator Brian Flores, pretty much contained the high-scoring Los Angeles Rams.
Defense wins championships, and on a day when the Rams' defense was going toe-to-toe with the Pats and keeping Brady in check, New England's job on LA was amazing. Some of us do enjoy defensive football. And the game was entertaining in that respect. Had the Rams shown any sort of offense, they had a chance to win.
For Belichick, that's six championships in 18 years. So I'll give the devil his due.
His defensive schemes, thanks to coordinator Brian Flores, pretty much contained the high-scoring Los Angeles Rams.
Defense wins championships, and on a day when the Rams' defense was going toe-to-toe with the Pats and keeping Brady in check, New England's job on LA was amazing. Some of us do enjoy defensive football. And the game was entertaining in that respect. Had the Rams shown any sort of offense, they had a chance to win.
For Belichick, that's six championships in 18 years. So I'll give the devil his due.
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