The Matt Moore Situation
No one thought we would be here.
Not after the first game of the 2011 ALDS, when a 22-year-old Matt Moore, making just his second big league start, shutout the powerful Texas Rangers lineup over seven innings. One of the top prospects in baseball had made his name known on the national stage and it seemed like he wouldn't be leaving it anytime soon.
The Rays, ever proactive in locking up young talent for less than market value, signed Moore to a 5-year, $14 million extension in December 2011. The next two seasons were successes, starting 58 games with an ERA just north of 3.