Quote Originally Posted by TRF View Post
agree to disagree. He's 26 this year, entering his prime years. prior to last year he had back to back 31 HR seasons. he's younger and likely to stay healthy and cheap. The opposite of Ludwick. Ludwick isn't exactly a known quantity. What is known is he had a very good bounce back year. What isn't know is his ability to sustain that success as he's got no real track record of doing that, not even in STL. Moore is a better value IMO, but it's moot as the Reds didn't even sniff to see if he was available. Ludwick's breakout season came at age 29. Moore's rookie year at age 25 was better than any Ludwick season prior to age 29. In 104 games last year, 29 AAA, 75 MLB he hit 19 HR's, 9 at AAA. Dude has monster power. I hope that with all the guys the Nats have brought in plus four of their top 10 prospects being OF's they see he is expendable and let him go.
Here's a fairly recent article about Moore just for discussion purposes:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index...eive-the-call/

He's described as a first basemen, so presumably he is not much of a fielder out in left. Although he clearly has a ton of power, that is mostly mitigated by his lack of patience, and he's not an overly high average hitter.

In total, yes, he could break out, but Ludwick was more of an exception to the rule, and it's always easier to bet on a guy whom is coming off a strong year of success at the major league level, even if it was preceded by some awful years (albeit in pitchers parks that seem not to have fit Ludwick's skill set). I think more than likely Moore is going to be a Jonny Gomes type. He's going to mash lefties. He's going to provide inadequate defense in the outfield. He's also probably not going to be an asset against right handed pitching.

In total, he's a guy that you consider bringing in to fight for at-bats, and spot in the right situation (and expand the role if it is meritted). I don't think he's a guy that you more or less hand the LF job to, especially in a year where the Reds are planning on contending. The loss of 1-2 wins by giving at-bats to an unknown quantity that doesn't project to being an above average major league starter could be a very regrettable mistake.