The Colorado Rockies announced on March 5th that they had signed veteran corner infielder and designated hitter Mike Moustakas, who spent the previous season with the Cincinnati Reds.
Moustakas signed a Minor League contract on Sunday and he should be an option to play in the third base position if the Colorado Rockies don’t feel that Elehuris Montero is fully ready to step in as the starting 3rd baseman for the team.
After one of the team’s key players, Brendan Rodgers, injured his left shoulder during a spring training game against the Texas Rangers, the Rockies were forced to make some adjustments to the roster.
Rodgers will undergo surgery to fix his broken and dislocated left shoulder, and he may end up being sidelined for the entire season.
Ryan McMahon, the Rockies’ starting third baseman, was moved to second base as a result of the Rodgers injury. McMahon had prior game experience at second base having played there previously in his career.
Why The Rockies Don’t Trust Montero?
The Rockies’ primary issue with Montero is his defense. Montero participated in 53 games last year while hitting six home runs and batting.233. He still needs to work on his defense, but he has a lot of power potential.
Moustakas, who was released by the Reds in January, will have a chance to play third base, a position that is crucial.
What can the Colorado Rockies expect from Moustakas
Moustakas has played in 12 seasons in the MLB with the Kansas City Royals, the Milwaukee Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds. He has appeared in three All-Star games and has a career .247/.308/.434 slash line with batting 20 or more homers in 6 of his 12 seasons, including 38 homers in 2017 with the Kansa City Royals and 35 in 2019 with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Since signing with the Cincinnati Reds, Moustakas has had trouble, hitting just 21 home runs in 184 games over three seasons while posting a .683 OPS.
Being prone to injuries, particularly in his lower body, did not help him improve his stats. A left calf strain last season, a right heel contusion in 2021 and a left quadriceps strain i