Former Angels, Royals All-Star Officially Retiring From MLB After 13 Years

On May 31, the Royals will sign Moustakas to a one-day ceremonial contract, allowing the former All-Star third baseman to retire with Kansas City — the team where he began his career, won a World Series, and cemented his place in franchise history.

Moustakas has not appeared in a Major League Baseball game since 2023 and won't play in 2025 either, wrapping up a 13-year career that began in 2011 with Kansas City, the team that drafted him with the No. 2 selection in the 2007 draft out of Chatsworth Charter (Calif.) High School.

Moustakas didn’t have his best regular season at the plate in 2014, finishing with a .632 OPS when the Royals secured their postseason spot. However, he found his swing in October, launching the game-winning home run in Game 1 of the ALDS to spark Kansas City's sweep of the Angels. He went on to hit five home runs that postseason, setting a franchise record for most homers in a single playoff run.

Moustakas' emergence aligned with the Royals' ascent, as the team’s core of homegrown talent propelled them to a championship in 2015. That season, he earned his first of three All-Star selections, finishing with 22 home runs, 82 RBIs, and a career-best .348 on-base percentage.

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Moustakas earned another All-Star selection in 2017, posting a .272/.314/.521 slash line while setting a career high with 38 home runs.

His trade to the Brewers in 2018 marked the close of a chapter in Kansas City and the beginning of a new one in Milwaukee. He played a key role in the Brewers’ postseason run, hitting .364 in their NLDS sweep of the Rockies as Milwaukee advanced to the brink of its first World Series appearance since 2011.

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In 2019, Moustakas earned his third and final All-Star selection while playing for the Brewers. Splitting time between third and second base, he wrapped up the season with 35 home runs and an .845 OPS (114 OPS+).

Moustakas played for the Cincinnati Reds from 2020-22. He contributed to Cincinnati’s 2020 postseason run but went hitless in the Wild Card Series (0-for-8). By the time he was released in January 2023, he had largely transitioned into a reserve role.

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