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.
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