DFA Moustakas

[Hollcat]

Please explain how DFA’ing Moose benefits anybody. The Reds don’t save a dime by doing so. They don’t need his roster spot, they have more spots than good players.

What do they gain from letting him go?

To me the main advantage to cutting him loose is that Bell will no longer be able to pencil him into the number 3 slot in the batting order!

[JFLegal]

worst FA signing in reds' history. $64M down the tubes. makes eric milton look like a bargain by comparison.

[WrongVerb]

The way the Reds operate, they won't cut Moustakas until his 2023 salary can be counted in their 2023 fiscal year. That means November 1st at the earliest.

[Kc61]

What deal do you believe there is or will be between no and the end of next season? The best you could hope for is giving someone something like Marte, Arroyo, Petty, Acuna, etc, with virtually nothing in return just to take him (and even then the other guy is gonna make you pay at least half of what's owed him).

I wouldn't mutiny if Moose is still here, but don't see where he helps much. Sunken cost. Eat the last season Don't go spending prospect capital to recoup a little cash.

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Suarez was supposedly a sunk cost. Guess not.

The goal with Moose would be to get him hitting for a month and trade him for a small measure of salary relief.

Wouldn’t involve any prospect capital.

Is it likely to happen, maybe not. But if you DFA him the chances go to zero. That’s why he is still a Red and may still be a Red next season.

[Mitri]

The way the Reds operate, they won't cut Moustakas until his 2023 salary can be counted in their 2023 fiscal year. That means November 1st at the earliest.

Exactly. They will use the offseason to see what they can do with Moose. They may eventually need his spot on the 40 man, though.

[sdwagers]

I 've noticed less Jake Sweeney commercials featuring Moose lately. Coincidence, I think not.

[REDREAD]

Please explain how DFA’ing Moose benefits anybody. The Reds don’t save a dime by doing so. They don’t need his roster spot, they have more spots than good players.

What do they gain from letting him go?

That's my take.
Moose is a useful bench player (when you consider the talent pool the Reds have to draw from to assemble their bench and their budget)
He's not very good but at least he's a LH power hitter off the bench.
They are going to have to pay him anyhow, why release him and then pick up some scrub and pay the scrub 700k (who will be just as bad or worse in terms of production)
If the Reds are ever in a situation where Moose is blocking a kid that deserves to be promoted to the Reds, then by all means, release Moose immediately. But we are not there yet.

[mth123]

Suarez was supposedly a sunk cost. Guess not.

The goal with Moose would be to get him hitting for a month and trade him for a small measure of salary relief.

Wouldn’t involve any prospect capital.

Is it likely to happen, maybe not. But if you DFA him the chances go to zero. That’s why he is still a Red and may still be a Red next season.

i understand this thinking, but how much should he actually play to accumulate enough stats that someone would actually take him? I don't have a problem keeping him until the end of 2022. But the 2023 plan shouldn't include much PT for Moose IMO. Even if they deal him next July, the 2023 contract is already going to be figured into this winter's plan and it won't really allow for more spending until 2024 when he'll be gone anyway.

I'm in favor of sending him on his way after the season.

[#13]

Please explain how DFA’ing Moose benefits anybody. The Reds don’t save a dime by doing so. They don’t need his roster spot, they have more spots than good players.

What do they gain from letting him go?

The Reds need his 40 man roster spot, its going to be tight next season and some tough decisions are going to be made.

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The active roster is 26. That leaves room for Moose and for Steer. And for 24 others.

All you accomplish by DFA’ing Moose is to ensure that Reds will pay the full $22 million due next year and buyout. Once he’s gone there’s no flexibility. No possible deal for a little salary relief, nothing, even if he does better in 2023.

It opens a much needed 40 man roster spot

[TRF]

I'm in favor of getting as many PA's and defensive innings to Steer as possible for the rest of this year. So yeah, DFA Moose. Sorry it didn't work out. This means Farmer shifts to DH/UT guy. Some of the future is now. We need to see it.

[JFLegal]

is steer even playing 3B at louisville? when i've checked box scores he has been playing 2B.

[Kc61]

i understand this thinking, but how much should he actually play to accumulate enough stats that someone would actually take him? I don't have a problem keeping him until the end of 2022. But the 2023 plan shouldn't include much PT for Moose IMO. Even if they deal him next July, the 2023 contract is already going to be figured into this winter's plan and it won't really allow for more spending until 2024 when he'll be gone anyway.

I'm in favor of sending him on his way after the season.

Think of it from an owner’s perspective. The single goal is to reduce the $22 million hit next year.

Nobody has a crystal ball. Why give up the chance, however small, that Moose can fetch you $2 million salary relief as a backup or platoon DH in a deal next season?

If Reds were a contender there would be some argument. With this club it’s optics, fans don’t want him around. But there’s no real benefit to the DFA at this stage. Maybe as things develop that will change somehow.

[JFLegal]

moose stinks, but perhaps he can have one final averageish season next year. i don't see the reds eating $18M in salary. they will eat the $4M buyout for 2024 of course, but for 2023? keep him around as an occasional DH, backup 1B with some occasional starts and backup 3B with some occasional starts. then if he completely sucks again, that would be the time to release him. don't see the benefit in doing it now or right after this season at all. it's unfortunate he's owed that much money, but he is, so might as well see if they can scratch out at least a halfway decent season from him in '23. if he wants to play past '23, he should be motivated to have a good year or '23 might be his final season ever in MLB. that's a harsh reality for a guy who has been a professional baseball player since the age of 18 (#2 overall pick of the draft).

[mth123]

Think of it from an owner’s perspective. The single goal is to reduce the $22 million hit next year.

Nobody has a crystal ball. Why give up the chance, however small, that Moose can fetch you $2 million salary relief as a backup or platoon DH in a deal next season?

If Reds were a contender there would be some argument. With this club it’s optics, fans don’t want him around. But there’s no real benefit to the DFA at this stage. Maybe as things develop that will change somehow.

Its not about contending. Moose is last year's news on a team looking to 2024. The team needs PT for younger players. Steer is ready now, Encarnacion-Strand, Elly De La Cruz, Allan Cerda. Matt McLain, Alex McGarry, Mike Siani and possibly Noelvis Marte will all be ready for an audition at some point in 2023. Steer is ready now and I'd argue that McGarry or Encanacion Strand should be Votto's back-up and part time DH next year. They will also need the DH spot to rest Votto and Stephenson while keeping their bats in the line-up. I just don't see Moose fitting from a Baseball standpoint and any pittance of money saved will pale in comparison to those considerations. That's the benefit IMO.

[Kc61]

Its not about contending. Moose is last year's news on a team looking to 2024. The team needs PT for younger players. Steer is ready now, Encarnacion-Strand, Elly De La Cruz, Allan Cerda. Matt McLain, Alex McGarry, Mike Siani and possibly Noelvis Marte will all be ready for an audition at some point in 2023. Steer is ready now and I'd argue that McGarry or Encanacion Strand should be Votto's back-up and part time DH next year. They will also need the DH spot to rest Votto and Stephenson while keeping their bats in the line-up. I just don't see Moose fitting from a Baseball standpoint and any pittance of money saved will pale in comparison to those considerations. That's the benefit IMO.

This is not the way most owners - particularly small market - would think about Moose’s contract.. They aren’t locking in a $22 million loss because it’s possible that Encarnacion-Strand or Allen Cerda might need a roster spot at “some point in 2023.”

If the Reds were contending, then they might make the concession to add a productive player down the stretch. As things now stand, owners would want to retain flexibility to do something with the Moose contract - even if the chance is small or the potential cost savings modest.