Cincinnati Reds Sign Mike Moustakas: What Free Agent Third Baseman Are Still Available?

Mike Moustakas and the Cincinnati Reds have agreed to a four-year contract according to Jon Heyman of the MLB Network, leaving one fewer free agent third baseman on the market. The top of the market is obviously Anthony Rendon who just won the World Series with the Washington Nationals.

The 30-year-old Texas native is expected to get a major payday from someone. Industry experts predict that Rendon will get a long-term deal for five or more years worth more than $200 million. That’s no wonder looking at his 2019 statistics.

He batted a .319 average, earned a .412 OBP and finished the year with a WAR of 6.3. That’s in addition to slugging 34 home runs and 126 RBIs. Most experts think that Anthony Rendon will stay in Washington but he has also been linked with the Houston Astros due to his home town connections.

The next-best option for teams with a need at the hot corner is Josh Donaldson. He may be 34 years old but Donaldson is coming off a red-hot season with the Atlanta Braves where he smashed 37 home runs and drove in 94 batters.

The Braves have already tried to tie down the player for another season having made a qualifying offer to him in November. Donaldson chose to reject the deal due to his desire for a two-year contract worth north of $20 million.

Should Josh Donaldson sign for a team other than Atlanta they would have to surrender a draft pick. This unfortunate fact means that the likeliest destination for the player remains the Braves.

Rendon and Donaldson are currently the two best free agent third baseman. However, there are other options available for teams with a lower budget who can’t afford to buy at the top of the market.

Todd Frazier is a good example. In 2019 he posted a respectable .251 average while hitting 21 homers and driving in 67 runs for the New York Mets. Just like Donaldson, he is now 34 years old so won’t get a long-term deal like Rendon. He will also cost significantly less money for his new team, as he earned $9 million this past season.

Pablo Sandoval saw limited action for the San Francisco Giants in 2019. Giant Panda had only 272 at bats but finished the season with a positive WAR of 1.5 as he slugged 14 home runs and drove in 41 RBIs. At age 33 and after a year of struggling with injuries, he would be a riskier bet than the other available players.

Other free agent third baseman still available include 36-year-old Martin Prado and Matt Duffy who is coming off an injury-shortened season where he was designated for assignment. Neither player looks like a safe bet for a team searching for a quality option at third.

We see that Cincinnati has really thinned the market for third baseman by signing Mike Moustakas. His absence leaves Rendon, Donaldson and Frazier as the only obvious choices for teams looking for a middle of the order player for third base.