Predicting contract terms for Kansas City Royals free agents

Mike Moustakas

The Kansas City Royals look unlikely to pursue Moustakas, even in the event Hosmer isn’t retained. That doesn’t mean the slugging third baseman will struggle to find a job this offseason — far from it. Moustakas appears to fit in best with teams looking for that one player to help them get into the playoffs. That would include teams like the Mets, Giants and Angels.

The consensus seems to be that he will be tied down for five years. However, there seems to be a large variation in how much that five-year deal will be worth.

Moustakas will see some teams shy away at his camp’s contract demands for various reasons. Part of which will be based on his age (29) and injury history (torn ACL in 2016). Another big sticking point is simpler: His reputation exceeds his actual production. Other than his 38 home runs, which were 16 more than his previous career-high, he didn’t put up great offensive numbers in 2017.

The fact that his .272 batting average and .314 on-base percentage were each the second-highest marks of his career is bad news. On the other side, his defense has dropped off after his knee injury. It means he could have to transition to designated hitter near the end of his contract — that is if an AL team inks him.

Those negatives notwithstanding, Moustakas will enter a long partnership this winter. The consensus seems to be that he will be tied down for five years. However, there seems to be a large variation in how much that five-year deal will be worth. In the aforementioned article on FanRag Sports, Heyman predicts Moustakas’ five-year contract will earn him $80 million, while the “expert” thinks it will garner him $92 million. Expect something in between.

Verdict: five-year, $85 million contract