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MLB notebook: Moustakas agrees to deal with Reds

[December 03, 2019] The Cincinnati Reds and free agent infielder Mike Moustakas agreed to a four-year, $64 million contract, multiple media outlets reported Monday.

Moustakas, 31, batted .254 with 35 homers and 87 RBIs in 143 games with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2019. He made the All-Star team for the third time. According to numerous reports, the Reds play to play the long-time third baseman at second base.

Moustakas was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 draft and played his first seven-plus seasons with the Royals, earning All-Star honors in 2015 and 2017 and helping Kansas City win the World Series in 2015. The Royals traded him to the Brewers in July 2018.

He was named the 2017 American League Comeback Player of the Year after slugging a career-high 38 homers. Moustakas missed most of the 2016 season with a torn ACL.

--The Boston Red Sox traded catcher Sandy Leon to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for minor league right-hander Adenys Bautista.

Leon, 30, played in 358 games over five seasons in Boston. In 2019, he appeared in 65 games at catcher (50 starts) and hit .192 with five home runs and 19 RBIs.

--The San Diego Padres acquired second baseman Jurickson Profar from the Oakland A's for catcher Austin Allen and a player to be named.

Profar, 26, is entering his final season of arbitration and was a non-tender candidate for Oakland, which is looking at a payroll crunch for 2020. He has been projected to earn $5.8 million next season. Profar hit .218 with 20 home runs and 67 RBIs in 139 games last season.

Allen, 25, appeared in 34 games last season as a rookie for the Padres, hitting .215 with no home runs and three RBIs in 65 at-bats.

--The Miami Marlins acquired two infielders, claiming first baseman Jesus Aguilar off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays and adding second baseman/shortstop Jonathan Villar from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for left-handed pitcher Easton Lucas.

Aguilar, 29, split last season between the Brewers and the Rays, a year after he was an All-Star for Milwaukee. He hit a combined .236/.325/.389 with 12 homers and 50 RBIs in 131 games this year.

Villar, 28, played in all 162 for Baltimore this year, hitting .274/.339/.453 with 24 homers, 73 RBIs and 40 steals.

--Minnesota Twins slugger Nelson Cruz was named the winner of the 2019 Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award. Jorge Soler of the Kansas City Royals finished second in the voting.

The 39-year-old veteran batted .311 with 41 homers and 108 RBIs in 120 games this season as he helped the Twins claim the American League Central division title. The six-time All-Star led AL designated hitters in runs, hits, total bases, home runs, RBIs, batting average and slugging percentage.

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Brewers third baseman Mike Moustakas (11) reacts in the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

--The Chicago Cubs parted ways with infielder Addison Russell when they didn't tender him a contract, making him a free agent.

Russell's now ex-wife Melisa Reidy detailed allegations of physical, mental and emotional abuse on her blog in September 2018. Russell, 25, served a 40-game suspension -- including the first 28 games of the 2019 season -- for the violation of the league's domestic violence policy.

The former All-Star, who helped the Cubs win the 2016 World Series batted .237 with nine homers and 23 RBIs in 82 games last season when he saw more action at second base (39 starts) than shortstop (16).

--Chicago White Sox catcher James McCann agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $5.4 million.

McCann batted .273 with 18 homers, 60 RBIs and 62 runs scored in 118 games last season, his first with the White Sox. He was named to the All-Star team for the first time in his career.

--The Minnesota Twins and Ehire Adrianza avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $1.6 million deal. The 30-year-old infielder is getting a $300,000 raise. Adrianza batted .272 with five homers and 22 RBIs in 83 games last season.

--At baseball's deadline for 2020 contract tenders, numerous players weren't given an offer, making them free agents. According to MLB.com, some of the notable players include the following (with their former teams listed):

RHP Blake Treinen and C Josh Phegley (Oakland A's), 3B Maikel Franco and 2B Cesar Hernandez (Philadelphia Phillies), OF Kevin Pillar (San Francisco Giants), 2B Yolmer Sanchez (Chicago White Sox), RHP Aaron Sanchez (Houston Astros), SS Tim Beckham (Seattle Mariners), 1B C.J. Cron (Minnesota Twins), UT Charlie Culberson (Atlanta Braves), OF Guillermo Heredia (Tampa Bay Rays) and C Kevin Plawecki (Cleveland Indians).

Treinen, 31, was an All-Star in 2018, when he posted 38 saves in 43 chances and had a 0.78 ERA. This past season, he had a 4.91 ERA while going 16-for-21 on save opportunities.

Yolmer Sanchez, 27, won a Gold Glove this year, but he hit just .252/.318/.321 with two homers and 43 RBIs.

--Field Level Media

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