The Mariners inked minor league infielder Dylan Moore to a major-league deal on Friday, per a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Terms of the contract have not yet been released, nor has the team officially confirmed the signing.
Moore, 26, split his 2018 campaign between the Brewers’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, for whom he batted a cumulative .299/.363/.522 with 14 home runs and 23 stolen bases in 454 PA. It’s a huge step up from the Mendoza Line-stats he produced with Atlanta in 2017 and presumably enough for the Mariners to stake a big league contract on, too, despite the fact that the infielder has yet to reach the majors.
Per Rosenthal, Moore may be called on to fill a utility role in Seattle. While he has enough experience to provide depth at any infield or outfield post, the bulk of his playing time has come at second base and short -- where, pending further moves this offseason, he could conceivably back up Robinson Cano and Jean Segura (and possibly Dee Gordon) in 2019. He also handled a career-high 54 games at the hot corner last season and may reprise his role on one of Kyle Seager’s rare off days.
