As Opening Day nears, MLB teams have to make the necessary cutdowns to their 26-man roster. The Philadelphia Phillies may have a difficult decision to make in the next couple of days regarding this.
Phillies utility man Dylan Moore has triggered his opt-out clause, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic.
Philadelphia now has 48 hours to add him to the 40-man roster. If he’s not added to the 40-man roster, he will be a free agent.
According to Sammon, clubs with injury concerns, like the Houston Astros, New York Mets, or Baltimore Orioles, could show interest if Moore hits free agency.
Who Is Dylan Moore of the Philadelphia Phillies?
Moore, entering his age-34 season, is on a prove-it deal with Philadelphia, signed back in late-January. The Texas Rangers drafted Moore in the seventh round of the 2015 MLB Draft from Central Florida.
He bounced around a few minor league rosters before settling with the Seattle Mariners, where he spent the first six-plus seasons of his career.
Making his major league debut in 2019, Moore has hit 63 home runs in 689 career games (1922 plate appearances).
While Moore doesn’t have much power (.383 career slugging), he does bring strong on-base tools with a .310 on-base percentage, despite a .206 lifetime average.
This is especially true against left-handed pitching. In the last season where he was eligible for Baseball Savant’s stats, 2024, Moore was in the 99th percentile in chase rate and 94th percentile in walk rate.
Moore is an above-average defender, being able to play every position but catcher. He won a Gold Glove award in 2024 as a utilityman.
A right-handed hitter, Moore has a .727 career OPS against left-handed pitchers, compared to a .668 OPS against right-handers.
Also, Moore possesses above-average speed (68th percentile in 2024), according to Baseball Savant. He has recorded 118 stolen bases in his career, including three 20+ stolen base seasons.
Should The Phillies Bring Back Moore?
While he has gotten extensive playing time during spring training, Moore has struggled. In 14 games (31 at-bats), he has batted just .226 with a .582 OPS.
While the on-base percentage has been on par for his career (.324), he has just one extra-base hit.
The Phillies don’t have many bench spots open at the moment for Moore. Rafael Marchán or Garrett Stubbs will be the backup catcher behind JT Realmuto. With both players out of minor league options, this will be an interesting battle to watch.
Edmundo Sosa has likely locked down the main superutility spot, and Otto Kemp will likely be a platoon option for left fielder Brandon Marsh.
However, in the wake of outfielder Johan Rojas’ 80-game PED suspension, Moore could find an opening on the roster.
He could be the backup center fielder behind rookie Justin Crawford, while providing defensive versatility at every other position.
His primary competition to grab that final backup outfield spot is Bryan De La Cruz, who is having a terrific offensive spring, batting .324 with an .822 OPS.
What separates Moore from De La Cruz is that the latter is a poor defender.
Given the lack of on-roster options, Moore could be positioned to win a spot on the Phillies roster still.
Phillies Roster Takes Shape With Latest Opt-Out