The Chicago White Sox-Kansas City Royals connection grew further on Wednesday when general manager Chris Getz signed Mike Moustakas to a minor-league deal. The veteran infielder will join White Sox Spring Training as a non-roster invite.
Moustakas, whose early years overlapped with the end of Getz's playing career in Kansas City, got the opportunity thanks in part to that familiarity. Getz also cited Moustakas's "championship pedigree" and desire to stick around the big leagues when discussing the signing.
"He’s been to two World Series, he’s won a World Series, he’s been an All-Star. So to have him come in here and be around the guys and compete for a spot, it seemed like a very obvious move to make.
"Knowing Mike, when he has something to truly prove, he wants to prove that he can still go out there and be a productive Major League player. Knowing that he has that baked into his mindset right now, I felt like this was a good idea."
Moustakas is coming off a 12-homer, 48-RBI season in which he slashed .247/.293/.392 across 386 plate appearances split between the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Angels. The 35-year-old will likely challenge Gavin Sheets, who has underwhelmed with a 90 OPS+ across parts of three seasons, for the White Sox' lefty bench bat role.
Pitchers and catchers are currently working at Camelback Ranch with the full squad set to report on Monday. Moustakas is one of 29 players coming to White Sox Spring Training on non-roster invites.
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