NEWS » Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Mike

Moustakas is becoming a free agent again http://www.royalsfanproshop.com/authentic-ryan-goins-jersey , and so is reliever Joakim Soria.In addition, the Brewers exercised a $3,175,000 option on All-Star right-hander Jeremy Jeffress, who would have been eligible for salary arbitration if it had been declined.Moustakas declined a $15 million mutual option Tuesday.He rejected a $17.4 million qualifying offer and left Kansas City after the 2017 season but was unable to find a long-term deal he liked. He returned to the Royals in mid-March for a one-year contract that included a guaranteed $6.5 million: a $5.5 million salary and $1 million option buyout. Moustakas earned an additional $2.2 million in performance bonuses based on plate appearances, raising his total earnings for 2018 to $8.7 million.A 30-year-old left-handed hitter, Moustakas had a .251 average with 28 homers and 95 RBIs. He hit .256 with eight homers and 33 RBIs in 54 games for Milwaukee, which acquired him from the last-place Royals on July 27.“I think he provided our team with what we were looking for when we acquired him: a powerful left-handed bat, he played a really quality third base and we had a guy who’d been there before contributing to our clubhouse culture,” general manager David Stearns said last week.Soria declined a $10 million mutual option and gets a $1 million buyout, completing a $25 million, three-year contract he agreed to with the Royals in December 2015. The right-hander was acquired from the Chicago White Sox on July 26 and was 3-1 with a 4.09 ERA in 26 games with the Brewers.Soria had an 18.00 ERA without a decision in two innings over four appearances in the NL Championship Series against the Dodgers. He was 1-0 and allowed just a hit and no runs in 2 2/3 innings in the Division Series sweep over the Rockies, appearing in all three games.Moustakas and Soria follow left-handed starters Gio Gonzalez and Wade Miley, along with veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson Cheslor Cuthbert Jersey , in Brewers who became free agents this week. Gonzalez and Granderson were also acquired in separate deals to bolster the Brewers for the stretch run.Jeffress was 8-1 with a 1.29 ERA and 15 saves. He had a $1.7 million base salary as part of a deal that included a $50,000 signing bonus and earned $550,000 in performance bonuses. Milwaukee has a $4.3 million for 2020. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — On Saturday, San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey played in his fifth spring training game and made his fourth start behind the plate.Told that it seems as if he’s catching more than expected coming off hip surgery, Posey agreed.“Which is a good thing,” Posey said. “I didn’t really have expectations coming in. I would say so, too. That’s a positive.”Posey will be in the Giants’ lineup on Sunday as well, but as the designated hitter. It will be the second time he’s played in back to back games this spring. Last August, he had surgery to address a hip impingement and repair a torn labrum.Is there anything he can’t do because of his hip?“I’d say the best way to describe how I feel is just more free,” Posey said. “I don’t feel stuck. Like any rehab, it’s a little bit like this and for the most part, mine has been a gradual incline. At the same time, I’m aware there might be some soreness and inflammation along the way. I’m hoping to leave here in a couple weeks and be ready to go.”Giants manager Bruce Bochy has been inserting Posey in the No. 2 spot in the lineup simply to give him more at-bats. The six-time All-Star’s playing time has been determined by how he feels and constant communication with the Giants’ medical staff.“They just kind of check in and see how I’m feeling Brian Flynn Jersey ,” Posey said. “If I’m bouncing back, then great.”The Giants pitchers are counting on a bounceback season for Posey, 31, who was limited to 105 games last season.“Buster’s a smart guy,” Giants pitcher Dereck Rodriguez said. “He has a different game plan with every single pitcher. He came up to me in the bullpen before we started warming up and said, ‘Today, we’ll start mixing it up.’ He’ll tell me some of their key players and the ones we want to focus on more than others.“Buster, he’s a leader, and he helps me out a ton back there,” Rodriguez said. “I can’t say enough how grateful I am.”Veteran catcher Stephen Vogt likes working with Posey, too.“Just listening to him talk about the way he does things is great and how he goes about his business and just observing,” Vogt said. “Obviously, he’s done it for a lot longer than I have and at a higher success rate than I have. Any time you get a chance to watch him and listen to the way he talks about the way he works with pitchers and the way he receives and just keeping things smooth, that’s the big thing with him. Watching the way he goes about it is pretty special.”NOTES: A year ago http://www.royalsfanproshop.com/authentic-ryan-goins-jersey , Rodriguez was one of the first players cut from the Giants’ big league camp. On Saturday, he tuned up for the season by striking out five over 3 2/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs in his third spring start. The biggest difference this spring? “I’m still here,” Rodriguez said, looking around the Giants’ clubhouse. “Last year at this time, I was on the other side (in the minor league camp). Now, I know the days I’m pitching. I get to start the games instead of coming in the seventh or eighth innings. I’ve just got my head down and keep doing what I’m doing.” Rodriguez was assigned to minor league camp on March 12 after appearing in three spring games last year. He did start March 21 against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Posey caught that game. “He had the confidence and the poise and the ability to adjust like any good major leaguer has to adjust, whether it’s defensively or offensively,” Posey said. “Because of that, he’s going to be successful for a long time.” Bochy on Rodriguez: “Right now, he’s part of this rotation. I think he’s throwing the ball well.” … The Giants reassigned right-handed pitchers Carlos Navas and Kieran Lovegrove to their minor league camp. With the moves, there now are 55 players in camp plus one on the 60-day injured list.