The Cardinals won’t be extending a qualifying offer to first baseman/outfielder Brandon Moss, reports ESPN’s Mark Saxon. Notably, Saxon adds that the lack of a QO “effectively [ends]” Moss’ tenure with the Cardinals, seemingly indicating that the team isn’t currently planning on making a run at re-signing him.
The 33-year-old Moss at one point looked to be a borderline candidate to receive a QO, but his production tanked in September, as he finished the year in a dreadful 10-for-106 free fall. Prior to that awful stretch, Moss was sporting a hefty .277/.344/.586 line on the year and had crushed 25 homers in just 346 trips to the plate. That tremendous show of power prompted MLBTR’s Jeff Todd to call it an “open question” as to whether Moss would receive the QO back in early September.
While it indeed seemed possible at that juncture, Moss will now enter the open market with a cumulative .225/.300/.484 slash line to show for his 2016 efforts. While that still represents a productive overall season, particularly in the power department, it does seem fair to suggest that Moss’ late cold spell has potentially cost him tens of millions of dollars. It’s not much of a silver lining, but the September swoon will at least allow Moss to enter the open market unencumbered by draft pick compensation.
Moss will be one of a number of left-handed hitting first base/DH types on this year’s free-agent market, as he’ll join Pedro Alvarez, Adam Lind, Logan Morrison, Mitch Moreland and Ryan Howard. However, unlike those peers, Moss is capable of playing in the corner outfield and as highly productive for much of the season before his sudden decline, probably making him the most desirable of the bunch. Even if he doesn’t sign somewhere to log everyday at-bats, he could still rotate between first base, corner outfield and DH enough to receive 400 to 500 plate appearances somewhere next season, assuming he remains healthy.
Mariners need to look at Brandon Moss. Always killed it at Safeco with A’s and Tribe
Since 2012, Moss ranks 12th overall in ISO – 1 point ahead of Nolan Arenado. Point being, that power plays everywhere and is no joke. His streakyness prevents him from being elite, but he’s a solid guy to have around.
Another homer or nothing guy for the Mets!
Paired with Flores they could make a solid 1B rotation
Oh well, that’s the risk of signing a guy who could accept. So long Brandon!
The Cardinals didn’t sign him, they traded for him, and with his late season collapse there is no way he wouldn’t have accepted the $17mil deal.
I didn’t say they signed him. I said what you just said, that if they offered him a QO he’d accept most likely
“Oh well, that’s the risk of SIGNING a guy who could accept.”
Yes, cuz if he accepted the offer, then they’d be getting him back, which they don’t want. I didn’t word it correctly my bad
The grammar and phrasing of the original sentence technically means you did say that they signed him btw.
I know didn’t you just read my last reply? I phrased it incorrectly my bad.
Actually not really. It was pretty obvious what he was trying to say.
Yes, it was obvious what cardfan2011 was saying. What is wrong with you guys that you feel the need to correct people when their point is understood. Does it make you feel superior as a person or make you feel better as a person?
I actually stumbled a bit over it. The player accepts by signing. Like cardfan said, he just phrased it incorrectly.
Tribe should bring Moss back to DH & protect against Brantley having a possible rough season off TWO surgeries. Qualify offer Napoli (Don’t care about poor post season) & trade Santana. Santana’s season was a fluke, it had to do with all the 90 + degree heat this past season in Cleveland. Normal summers the ball doesn’t carry well, and Progressive field becomes a more friendly pitcher’s park.. Santana’s numbers decrease in cooler temps, I guarantee .220 18 HR’s & 70 RBI’s season from Santana.. Not really worth the 12 mil. I know after watching Santana the past 8 seasons.
Those numbers aren’t worth 12 million? Luckily for other Indians fans you’re wrong and Cleveland is going to keep him
I must be missing all these “normal summer days” it’s always humid in this town and power was up all around the league not just at progressive field.
And Santana had some of the best post season at bats of any Indians players. He worked counts and had good swings (regardless of small sampling results)
Santana is a must keep for the tribe and certainly better than Moss (and I’m a Cards fan that wants him back)