Atlanta Braves: Speculation Landing Mike Moustakas in Atlanta
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Braves have a lot of holes in their roster to fill this off-season including at third base. Recent speculation has pointed to Mike Moustakas being a fit in Atlanta. Is there a chance Moustakas could find himself in a Braves uniform?
The Atlanta Braves have plenty of decisions to make this off-season including who will play third base for the Braves. An answer that the Braves have been looking to answer since Chipper Jones decided to hang it up.
Recent speculation has pointed to the Braves attempting to sign Mike Moustakas bringing the former Royal in to provide stability at third base. Coming out of a career season for the Royals Moustakas was given a qualifying offer and any team aside from the Royals would have to give compensation because of that.
If you have followed the Braves for long you know that they are very unlikely to target a free agent that they will have to pay and give compensation for. That alone makes a deal with the former Royal’s third baseman unlikely.
Add in the fact that he will be looking to cash in after a career year and would block third base for prospect Austin Riley and it is not a match or a good option for the Braves.
The only reason that such a deal would work for Atlanta is if they planned to move Riley in an off-season trade. That is doubtful considering that they are yet to find new front office leadership or show any signs of the direction they will attempt to head after another 90+ loss season.
Rumors are running rampant as always this time of year and for Braves fans that is all this is. Mike Moustakas is not a fit in Atlanta and anything contrary to that should be attributed to nothing more than the boredom as we wait for the real off-season to begin.