Report: Royals, Moss agree to 2-year deal
The Kansas City Royals have added the left-handed bat they were searching for.
The club has agreed to a two-year, $12-million contract with first baseman/outfielder Brandon Moss, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports. The deal is pending a physical.
Moss' deal will pay him $3.75 million in 2017, $7.25 million in 2018, and includes a 2019 option with a $1-million buyout, reports Jon Heyman of Fan RagSports.
Kansas City has apparently structured the contract so it's significantly back-loaded, reports Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. Moss' 2017 salary is not yet known, per Dodd.
Jim Bowden of ESPN was the first to report the two sides were close to a deal.
A need for added offense was clear this offseason after Kendrys Morales opted for greener pastures, signing a three-year, $33-million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Moss' hitting ability from the left side gives the organization another solid piece to join Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon, and Mike Moustakas as the other left-handed hitters in the lineup. It also marks the first free-agent signing the Royals have made so far this offseason.
| Player | HR | RBI | AVG | OBP | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moss | 28 | 67 | .225 | .300 | 0.8 |
| Morales | 30 | 93 | .263 | .327 | 0.9 |
Although Morales performed a bit better than Moss last season, the veteran outfielder hit an impressive 25 home runs against right-handed pitching compared to Morales' 19.
Moss is expected to serve as the team's designated hitter on most occasions as the newly acquired Jorge Soler is slated to be the team's everyday right-fielder. The veteran 33-year-old spent the past two years with the St. Louis Cardinals but has experience hitting in the American League when he was a member of the Oakland Athletics from 2012-2014, and with the Cleveland Indians in 2015.
Moss, who was an All-Star with the Athletics in 2014, combined to slash .249/.330/.481 with 93 home runs and 282 RBIs in four seasons playing in the AL.