Adam Moore, who was placed on waivers by the Seattle Mariners earlier in the week, was claimed by the Kansas City Royals on Saturday afternoon and will be assigned to AAA Omaha. Moore, 28, was once a top 100 prospect in all of baseball prior to the 2010 season.
After a stint at junior college, Moore landed at the University of Nebraska before making his way to the University of Texas-Arlington. Seattle would eventually select him the sixth round of the 2006 major league draft. UTA has quietly put together a solid baseball program as it has produced Moore, Dillon Gee, and Hunter Pence in recent years.
Moore has been held back thus far in his major league career because of a series of injuries. At the beginning of the 2011 season he was held out for two months because of a meniscus tear in his right knee. Then prior to this season, Moore broke a bone is his right wrist while catching during spring training.
Offensively, Moore did hit 22 home runs and drove in 102 runs in A+ ball in 2007, but the injuries have hindered his development. At the major league level he has struck out 72 times in 234 career at-bats. He has only walked eight times. Despite only playing 59 games in 2010, he had the third most passed balls in the American League.
I'm fine with the Royals taking a chance on a former high level prospect. Obviously the Royals have their starting catcher figured out at the big league level for many years to come with Salvador Perez, but a change of scenery will probably do Moore some good at this point. Seattle has young player Jesus Montero in addition to having just drafted Florida's Mike Zunino in the first round.
Afterall, Max Ramirez had bounced around organizations himself, and he is doing quite well behind the plate at Omaha this year.