Retirement Planners Spotlight: Jon Moscot

Jon Moscot had his promising baseball career unfortunately end way too soon, felled by hard-luck injuries.
But he's now back where he once started, taking a different path on a hopeful future.
Moscot, 27, who pitched for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos during the 2013 and '14 seasons, en route to reaching the major leagues with the Cincinnati Reds, is now assistant pitching coach for the Billings (Mont.) Mustangs.
Moscot broke into pro baseball in 2012 for the Mustangs, the Reds' Pioneer Rookie League, after being a fourth round draft pick by the Reds earlier that year out of Pepperdine University. He started 10 games that season for Billings.
A year later, he spent the second half of the season with the Blue Wahoos. He finished the 2013 season with a combined 140 strikeouts on two teams, the most by any pitcher in the Reds' organization that year.
He then became part of the starting rotation for Pensacola in the 2014 season, going 7-10 with a 3.13 ERA and was named that season to the Southern League All-Star team.
After moving up to Triple-A Louisville, Moscot made his major league debut with the Reds on June 5, 2015. But in his third career start, he dislocated his left, non-throwing shoulder in a collision during a rundown play. He missed the rest of that season.
In 2016, he made only five starts due to three different injuries. He a muscle strain in batting practice, inflammation in his left shoulder, but then a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right throwing elbow that led to Tommy John surgery. It essentially ended his career. He spent the 2017 and '18 seasons on the injured list.
On March 7 during spring training, he announced his retirement on his Instagram account. Here is part of what he posted.
"After spending years in physical therapy post surgery and ultimately listening to my body, I've thought long and hard and have made the difficult decision to hang up my cleats for a final time and step away from playing the game of baseball.
"My emotions run deep on this, I'm sad I won't be able to compete anymore and hate to think there are some people I may never get to see again, but the good that has come from this beautiful game far outweighs the sad.
"The people who I have met have changed me deeply and forever, my teammates, friends, coaches, mentors, fans and trainers all have become a part of who I am and I cannot thank or love them anymore than I do. The experiences I've gotten to live through and the fantastic people ive come across are a blessing I wish could be bestowed upon everyone who crosses the white lines and dreams big."
Moscot grew up in southern California. He played on the West Los Angeles Little League team with then-teammate Tyler Skaggs. Both were dominate pitchers. Both made to the major leagues. One a righty, the other (Skaggs) a lefty. Moscot with the Reds, Skaggs with the Los Angeles Angels.
Sadly, Skaggs passed away to unknown cause on July 1 in his hotel room while the Angels were on a road trip against the Texas Rangers.
Moscot is working with Mustangs pitching coach Derrin Ebert, who was on the Reds' major league staff last year and was with the Mustangs in 2014 and '15. Moscot is traveling with the team on road trips as well as his role in home games.