The Chicago White Sox have brought in a few veterans this offseason, seemingly to either fill some holes or because they don’t have the young talent to fill their needs.
Guys like Kevin Pillar, Max Stassi, and now Mike Moustakas are there to help the White Sox create some competition in spring training, push some of the younger guys, and/or fill the holes that they have in the roster.
Moustakas is a well-traveled baseball player.
He has played for seven teams (not including the White Sox) throughout his 13-year career. He last played with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Moustakas is a third baseman by trade but has played some first and second base during his time in the majors as well as a shortstop.
He comes to the White Sox with a career slash line of .247/.307/.431. Moustakas has cranked out 215 home runs and 683 RBIs in 5060 at-bats.
The book on Moustakas is that he has kind of had an up-and-down career and is reaching the end of it.
What’s appealing about him is his ability to play multiple positions. If he were to make the active roster, he would be able to fill in anywhere in the infield defensively. That’s huge. He’s definitely not a long-term solution for the Sox, but he could be someone that they rely on to fill holes on the roster when players are injured or the young guys falter (hopefully that doesn’t happen).
The experience that Moustakas brings is very valuable and should not only help the team out but also help the younger players. He could be like a coach on the field, assisting players in getting placed properly, and providing them with advice on certain situations.
As far as getting some actual playing time, it’s possible we could see Moustakas at second base or, and this is a bit of a stretch, at first base at least part-time. I don’t see him getting a chance at third unless Yoan Moncada winds up getting injured in Spring Training (which is always a possibility). It might be second where he lands, and the White Sox might be better off if he does end up at second base. Shortstop may be out of the question also.
I think that bringing in Moustakas was a good move and one that will hopefully pay off for the White Sox in the future.
I think, unless someone really steps up and plays well, Moustakas is going to be on the active roster when the dust settles, and Spring Training is over. I think that his ability to play so many different positions makes him one of the most valuable members of the team right now and one that will stick with the team when everything is done.
It will be interesting to see how things unfold with Moustakas in Spring Training. Can he step up and be a leader as well as a valuable member of the roster or will he simply hold a spot till the spring training period is over and fade away?
We are about to find out.