Dodgers: Could LA Explore Signing Recently Released Former All-Star?

Three-time All-Star and former World Series champion Mike Moustakas went to high school just 30 miles from Dodger Stadium, up the 5 to the 118 and a few miles west to Chatsworth. Moustakas, under contract for one more year with the Reds, was designated for assignment on Thursday and will likely be released after no one claims him on waivers.

That got some people wondering if Moose might be this year's "veteran comes to L.A. on a small contract and provides leadership and inspiration" candidate.

So who's scared of the Dodgers signing Moose? Show of hands. https://t.co/Q6oX4bQZMd
— Clint Pasillas (@realFRG) December 22, 2022

Here's the problem with that idea: Moustakas isn't very good. Like, he was never very good, and he's been worse than that the last two years. In Moustakas's first ten seasons, he had a combined 101 OPS+, meaning he's almost exactly league average at the plate. That's pretty valuable for a catcher or a shortstop; for a third baseman, it's quite bad.

Over the last two seasons, though, Moustakas's OPS+ has been just 71. In those two years he's played 140 games, 139 of them at either first base, third base, designated hitter, or pinch hitter. Those are all positions where hitting is the primary job description, and he's been 29 percent worse than league average at hitting.

Could the Dodgers see something they think they can fix in the 34-year-old Moustakas that would make him worth a flier at the league minimum? Sure, but they're not miracle workers. Moustakas hasn't been a great hitter since 2010 in Double-A, and he hasn't been even a good hitter in three years. Throw in his relatively lousy defense and he's a double-whammy of "no thanks."