Dylan Moore's Absence Emphasizes His Value to Mariners
On August 30, Mariners fans were greeted with disappointing news that utility man Dylan Moore had landed on the injured list with a strained right oblique. According to Mariners manager Scott Servais, the 30-year old is expected to be reinstated during the team's upcoming road trip.
But for now, with J.P. Crawford (pectoral) also banged up and showing signs of wear defensively, Seattle has a big hole at shortstop. Moore, who's proven capable of spelling Crawford when necessary, is often forgotten and rarely appreciated, but he evidently means a lot to Seattle's roster.
Dylan Moore breaks it open with a 3 run shot! pic.twitter.com/bZsc2UFnn6
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 28, 2022
Not only has Moore been able to step up at shortstop, but in other key areas as well. When Julio Rodríguez went down with a wrist injury in late July, Moore filled in at center field and was more than serviceable out there.
Moore has been a consistent and solid band-aid over some of the thin roster issues the Mariners have had over the last few seasons. While he does not have a perfect swing, and certainly shouldn't be an everyday player, Moore still brings immense value.
His best role is to play mostly against lefties, but he's has been productive overall this season. His overall slash line sits at .206/.353/.388 with a WRC+ of 123, according to FanGraphs.
Moore has also been worth 1.7 fWAR on the season, an outstanding value for a bench player. His absence hurts this team.
Again: while he carries some glaring flaws in his game, Moore is an above-average backup, who's one of the team's primary backups at two premium positions. He should be appreciated more for everything he has done over his time in Seattle.
