KC Royals Potential Departures, Vol. 4: Mike Moustakas

May 1, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas (8) warms up before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals won 6-1. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Many tough choices are going to be made at Kauffman Stadium over the next few months. Mike Moustakas is the next one we’ll make here for the KC Royals.

Name: Mike Moustakas

Agent: Scott Boras

Career Numbers: .248/.303/.409 (.712 OPS), 88 home runs, 306 RBI, 144 doubles, 281 runs, 93 OPS+/93 wRC+/.161 ISO power, 10.0 WAR

Importance: Starting third baseman and middle of the order bat

History of Success

Mike Moustakas will never be what many expected him to be a decade ago.

This is not an indictment of Moose, who has become a beloved member of the KC Royals. How Moose is perceived really has little to do with him; being the second overall pick and a consensus top-20 prospect for the duration of your minor league career has a way of pigeon-holing a fella. It is not his fault he was picked ahead of Madison Bumgarner, Josh Donaldson, Giancarlo Stanton, Freddie Freeman and Jonathan Lucroy, among others.

As a 22-year old in 2011, Moustakas was promoted to the big club after a solid minor league career and was immediately tossed into the fire, playing 89 games with a modicum of success. He had his highs (47 straight games without an error, 34 doubles in 2012). He had his lows (led AL third basemen with 16 errors in 2013, was briefly demoted after a disastrous start to 2014). Nothing unexpected.

Unless you’re a No. 2 overall pick and consensus top-20 prospect. If Buster Posey didn’t have to struggle, why should Mike Moustakas?

History of Success

Schedule