Houston Hopeful- Scott Moore

Scott Moore is one of several minor league Free Agents that were signed by Ed Wade just prior to his firing. Moore is an infielder that was considered to be an excellent prospect when the Detroit Tigers selected him in the first round of the 2002 draft. He hits left-handed, which seemed to be an area of weakness for Houston that Wade was attempting to strengthen, and has been primarily a third-baseman but can also play first and second. Moore reported to camp Thursday and as of Saturday morning only three Astros players have yet to report.

Moore is a veteran of ten seasons in the minors where he has accumulated a .264/.348/.447 slash line. He has spent the last five seasons at the AA A level and has also seen some big league action with the Cubs and Orioles. Moore played in 41 games for Baltimore in 2010 but was released after the season. He spent all of 2011 playing for the Pacific Coast League (AAA) Iowa Cubs. Moore hit .295/.380/.444 in 123 games for Iowa and was granted Free Agency by the Cubs.

With Jimmy Paredes, Chris Johnson, and now Brett Wallace battling for playing time at 3B, it seems as though Moore no longer fits into the Astros plans. He could stay with the organization as infield and left-handed hitting depth, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him released. My guess is Moore becomes a casualty of the new ownership group.  Spending the year at AAA is another possibility for Moore but also somewhat unlikely. There isn’t enough room for Paredes, Johnson, and Wallace on the roster. One of those gentlemen will probably begin the season as the every day 3B at Oklahoma City.