After getting knocked around by Oakland (of all teams) on Sunday, Matt Moore comes into today’s start with a 1-2 record, a robust 5.71 ERA and a troubling 1.64 WHIP.

Not only are opponents batting .289 against him, he has had issues with control walking 18 batters in 34-2/3 innings. He has also yielded six long balls.

Obviously, the 22-year-old phenom who set the league on fire wrapping up the regular season with a 2.89 ERA in 9-1/3 innings and posting a 0.90 ERA in ten playoff innings, isn’t going to be on the chopping block for fantasy owners, but he could be on the trading block.

The elephant in the room—when it comes to Matt Moore’s 2012 fantasy outlook—is the potential innings cap. Tampa Bay figures to be in the playoffs or at least in the chase, but they could still monitor Moore’s innings to protect their investment.

If you believe in Matt Moore, and why wouldn’t you, that is certainly something you should be in the ear of his fantasy owner with. Plant that seed and hope it grows.

I would also play up the fact that he has yet to face the Blue Jays, Orioles or the Yankees and got bombed in his lone appearance against the Red Sox.

He plays in a tough division that features five of the top ten home run totals in the league. That is cause for concern and could also play into your favor.

Moore has really been smacked around in two of his starts. In the other four he has a 3.04 ERA. Obviously he’s going to have some bad starts, but he’s way better than his numbers would lead you to believe.

His owner may still be reluctant to sell low on Moore, but it’s certainly worth exploring.

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