Latest Trade Rumblings: Pirates have looked into Nationals 1B/OF Tyler Moore, team source says

MOORE VIEWED AS LONG-TERM BAT, SOURCE SAYS

Pirates GM Neal Huntington intends to be a buyer at the trade deadline for the second straight year and while Huntington is looking into possible rental bats such as San Diego Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin, Huntington also has his eye on adding a long-term bat which has the team very interested in Padres third baseman Chase Headley and Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton.

Another player of interest to the Pirates is 25 year old 1B/OF Tyler Moore of the Washington Nationals, team sources tell Inside Pittsburgh Sports.com.

Pro scouts in the organization have had their eye on Moore for a while now who belted 31 home runs and 90 RBIs in Double-A last season and hit .310 with 9 home runs and 26 RBIs in 28 games in Triple-A this season before being called up by Washington on April 29th.

The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Moore, a right handed hitter, is hitting .310 with 4 home runs and 12 RBIs in 71 at-bats with the Nationals. Known as a player at this point in his development who hits lefties very well, Moore has earned more playing time of late in the Nationals outfield due to his abilities to also hit righties thus far in his Major League career as he’s 10-27 (.370) with 2 home runs and 9 RBIs against righties. Moore a natural first baseman, has appeared in 17 games at left field and 7 at first base in a part-time role with the Nationals this season. The Nationals are not actively looking to move Moore but are willing move him for the right price. RF Jayson Werth is expected off the DL at the end of the month from a broken wrist and the team is expected to move Michael Morse over to left field when Werth is healthy or could be in the market for a corner outfielder as the team has been linked to Carlos Quentin on the trade.

The Pirates are said to feel that Moore might not provide a significant impact right now but team scouts are very high on his ceiling and a bonus is that he’s already proven that he can contribute at the Major League Level already.