Third baseman Mike Moustakas “could see himself” staying with the Brewers, Jon Heyman of Fancred writes. “I like it here,” Moustakas said. “The team is together. The coaching staff is together. The training staff is together. We have a good time here every single day.” Moustakas, who joined Milwaukee via trade with Kansas City in July, has been a key part of the Brewers’ two playoff wins so far. He also offered respectable production between the two teams during the regular season, combining for 2.5 rWAR/2.4 fWAR with a .251/.315/.439 line (105 wRC+) and 28 home runs in 635 plate appearances. But it’s unknown whether that’ll lead the Brewers and Moustakas to exercise their $15MM mutual option for 2019; if not, it’s anyone’s guess whether the 30-year-old would garner much of a raise over his 2018 salary on the open market. Moustakas made his first trip to free agency last offseason, a frustrating winter in which he sat without a team until March. The lack of interest in Moustakas enabled the Royals to re-sign him for a surprisingly low sum ($6.5MM guaranteed and, as Heyman points out, $8.7MM with incentives). Looking ahead to 2019, the Brewers will have a full infield under control – which could make Moustakas’ stay with them a short one – though a few of those players (e.g., Eric Thames, Jonathan Schoop and Hernan Perez) logged uninspiring production during the regular campaign.
More on Milwaukee and the club it dethroned en route to a National League Central title:
- The Brewers haven’t received any contributions this year from injured right-hander Jimmy Nelson – nor will they as they continue a potential march to a World Series – but that figures to change in 2019. Nelson, down since September 2017 with shoulder issues, has completed his “formal rehab,” general manager David Stearns said Saturday (via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). “He has returned to pitching. That is a great thing to say.” Nelson pitched like a front-line starter a year ago, notching a 3.49 ERA/3.05 FIP in 175 1/3 innings, and his absence has made the Brewers’ success this season all the more impressive. The 29-year-old will enter his penultimate season of arbitration control in 2019.
- After Colorado eliminated Chicago from the playoffs Tuesday, Cubs reliever Jesse Chavez reportedly declared to teammates, “If I’m not wearing this [uniform] next year, I’m done.” Whether the pending free agent, 35, still feels that way is unclear, but he did tell Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (subscription required), “I’m open-minded to anything,” with regard to a potential role on next year’s Cubs. Joining the Cubs, who acquired him from the Rangers in July, enabled Chavez to participate in the playoffs for the first time in his long career, Mooney notes. “This has been one of my favorite places to come since I broke into the league,” Chavez said to Mooney, and he went on to laud the Cubs’ “atmosphere, the history, the culture, the clubhouse, the stands, the fans.” That’s important, Mooney opines, writing that “Wrigley Field is not for everyone and you have to recognize who can handle it.” Chavez proved capable of handling it in 2018, as the right-hander recorded a microscopic 1.15 ERA with tremendous strikeout and walk rates (9.7 K/9, 1.2 BB/9) in 39 innings after Chicago picked him up.
Where does Travis Shaw play??
Remains at second.
Do we have shaw defensive ratings at 2B? Cuz if he’s good there I’d be ecstatic for a moose deal
Only 268 innings, not meaningful enough size, but -1 DRS
How about you watch the actual game of baseball and see for yourself instead of pretending WAR and other made up stats are what decides who’s good or not
Right because you not liking WAR makes it a made up stat – not a stat you don’t like, it doesn’t exist.
Thank you for being the poster child of turtling
WAR isn’t a stat. It is a metric, that combines many inputs/”stats”/
Its not like Aguilar has been stellar since the all-star break. He had an incredible 2 months but has been in a tail spin since then. Wouldn’t surprise me if they let Thames go and have Shaw play more 1st next season against RH.
I’d really like to see Chavez back in Chicago. He was great for our bullpen and a high-energy character for the clubhouse. Probably could get him back on a cheap 2 year deal or a 1-1 club option.
Yeah. He was a very solid pickup once acquired. I’d like to see him back as well
Totally and completely agreed. He was a really pleasant surprise and it sounds he wants to be here. Hope we get him back.
Honestly, Moustakas is great and all but we should locate his money into pitching. We really don’t need his bat. It’s more of a luxury
I’m hoping the Brewers pick up the option on Moustakes at the very least or maybe sign him to a 2 or 3 yr deal. I think they can find enough ab for Shaw, Moose and Aguilar between first and third bases, plus you aren’t guaranteed of a productive yr again from Aguilar. You could always trade Shaw for pitching too because even after Moustakas contract Erceg would be ready to take over third.
One of the two sides will decline Moose’s option. All the reasons why one side would pick up their half are reasons why the other side would not pick up theirs.
Haha who trades (blank MLB player) for pitching??? No one trades pitching for solid MLB hitter… unless it’s a reliever… like… wait for it… Tyler Thornberg! Only rebuilding teams trade legitimate starting pitching. Rebuilding teams don’t really need a Travis Shaw though, because by the time they’re good, he’s gone. You can get a solid reliever for Shaw, but that’s it. Why not just hang onto him?
No way the Brewers trade a cheap controllable player who has had two straight 30 HR/.825 OPS years at the plate while playing solid defense. Moustakas and Shaw are similar players except Shaw is younger and cheaper. Small market teams can’t afford to trade players like Shaw. Only way we’d think about trading Shaw would be in a 3-way deal and getting a controllable TOR arm in return, which is highly unlikely to happen.
Their point was they would use the $$ they save by not retaining Moustakis, not that they would trade him for pitching.
Has a mutual option ever been accepted by both sides?
Yes
Have to keep moose!!! He’s a hero already with walkoff and he’s a consistent hitter who has a flair for the dramatic and plays a very good 3rd base. Shaw has been a very good second baseman. He can play 2nd 4 days a week, 3rd once a week and 1st once a week. Injuries happen too. Everyone said look at our outfield! We need to trade someone. Too much talent. Skip to a month into the season and Braun injured, Yellich injured, Santana in AAA with our starting outfield being Cain, Perez and Thames for a few weeks.
Would be nice if he had a flair for getting on base instead.
Cubs
Suck
You spelled 2016?World Series Champs wrong
You just need to sit back and relish the fact that there are those out there that troll the Cubs now. Never would have happened five to seven years ago. This run of contention won’t last forever…..enjoy it while it is here. Meaningful baseball games in September and October are not what I have experienced most of my life being a Cub fan. Being a Cub fan, I certainly have a whole different definition of “suck” than some on this board. Now, the word “disappointment” also has a different meaning now, but let’s see what 2019 brings.
Morons. 4 straight playoff appearances and no end in sight. The end of the season yes did suck but the best part is everything, and I mean everything, that could go wrong this year did go wrong. From hurt starting pitchers, to hurt KB, to season ending closer issues, to rain outs, to 39 games in 40 days to our idiot shortstop getting in trouble with law. All that went wrong and they still won 95 games.
Ok I just want to mention the Brewers went just as many days in a row without a break after the all star game but with only a 25 man roster where the Cubs got to have 40 man roster. I’m just saying I don’t think either team should have had to do it it is what it is .
Stubby, I think I trust you, but I just checked the schedule and the longest streak I can find for the Brewers is 17 in the second half. Not exactly “just as many” as 30, let alone 41 out of 42. If you want to post facts, can you point out the stretch of 30—-I’m just missing it? Ps—-I’m not trolling—-I was surprised by your statement and checked. I’m really hoping the Brewers can beat the Dodgers and get to the World Series. I have no anomisity at all.
They had 21 games in 20 days to end the first half. So not the same, but equally as taxing on pitching staff with only 25 man roster during that stretch.
Also, the injury excuse is getting old. Every team has injuries, its how you adjust and overcome those injuries that makes a team successful. It happened that the bulk of the Cubs injury issues occurred in the second half but the Brewers were without Nelson(arguably its Ace) the whole year, Davies for 3 months, Thames for a month, Knebel for over a month, Yelich for two weeks, Braun for multiple week stints and Miley for a couple months. I understand the gripe about Bryant being out, that would take a toll on any offense, but stop making excuses and just accept that the Brewers had a better year. As a Brewer fan I fully admit the Cubs have more talent on their roster, but you didn’t hit well in September even in the beginning of your long stretch. Thats why you lost. Own up to it.
No excuses at all—-I follow baseball pretty closely and Stubby made the statement that the Brewers had the same stretch of games in a row. Since the Cubs streak got so much play in the media, I wasn’t aware that the Brewers or any other team for that matter had a stretch like the Cubs. When I checked the longest streak I could find was 17 days in row—which as a fact, is not the same as 30. I have no problem at all with “opinion” but to throw out a statement that is nowhere near fact is a little irresponsible—but I did check as I said I wasn’t aware of such a stretch. I have, nor have I posted any excuses or taken anything away from the Brewers or any other team. Actually, there’s a pretty big block of fans in my house hoping the Brewers win it all.
Keep in mind that the Cubs were 24-16 in that stretch (.600 ball). They didn’t play poorly. The Brewers played great and won game 163. That’’s the fact. Good luck with the Dodgers first— then whoever is there.
I’m coming forward and saying after further checking out how many games in a row yes Mike 127 you are right in the number of games in a row are not the same and I apologize for not double checking the number. At the same time I want to say that I appreciate the way you handle it. As a fan to the game and frequent poster you have earned my respect for being a damn good Cub fan and I do apologize for not having my facts right and your right both teams had a very good season.
I wasn’t saying you made any excuses just a lot of cubs fans including the originator of this thread champillini, thanks for the good wishes!… just an fyi my first statement in comment to yours about the brewers playing 21 games in 20 days is factual
Thanks Stubby—-good luck the rest of the way——there is nothing better than winning a World Series.
And thanks to you, too Gold. I certainly try to stay away from excuses—-it’s a long season and once someone starts nitpicking it can go off the rails quickly. I’m sure every team had undesirable stretches and unfortunate happens. I just happen to fall in the fan base of a very, very rabid and now somewhat spoiled collection……
The Cubs are just such a national team and have such a deep fan base that things just get blown out of porportion way too much. I’m sure we can scroll through page after page here and find almost nothing on how the Rockies and Braves (tonight not withstanding) have to fix their offenses in the next month and a half. It’s just the nature of the beast right now.
Aww you guys are sweet. See we can get along sometimes. And as a Cub fan I too am rooting for the Brewers to get to the World Series. I was gonna root for the Indians if they make it against anyone but looks like that’s not happening so Brewers it is. This is not my crew but i’ll cheer them on.
I too am rooting for the Indians first, but that is because I bet them to win the world series early in the year when their odds ballooned to 17-1. I guess I should have waited, huh??? I’m all good with the Brewers winning if the Indians don’t.
Scumbag
Honestly the Cubs and the crew are pretty evenly matched roster-wise if you ask me. Cubs just stopped hitting at the worst time possible. Got no hatred for the Brewers either. They got there hope they can win it.
Will the Cardinals ever make the playoffs again? Its been awhile
I get what people are saying about Shaw being cheap and affordable but I do think he is missing that leadership quality that Moose has. I have no problem keeping him cause I think there is enough at bats. If they resign Moose I hope the most is 3 years because we do have Erceg and Gatewood readying two years plus I think Shaw and maybe 1 or 2 pitching prospects with Broxton would be enough for a Skaggs or Heaney. Yes I know Angel’s wouldn’t go for it probably at all
News Flash! Pending Free Agent, (insert name here), says how much he likes the current team he is with, and how he will be open to signing back.
Move along folks. Nothing to see here. The news would be if he talked about how he hated where he was and was looking forward to leaving, because everyone there was anti social. No player is going to eliminate a potential bidder, who can drive up the price, even if they have no intentions of coming back.
Sucks for Moose. He’d be way better off elsewhere. They got lucky with way below average pitching. Their bullpen was so good because their starters were so average.