A big few months for Moore

We all saw in 2012 what Tyler Moore is capable of.

That season, Moore put up a .840 OPS and hit 10 home runs in just 156 at-bats in his first taste of the big leagues, putting himself on the radar of Nationals fans and seemingly positioning himself as, at the very least, a productive bench bat on the major league roster going forward.

Things haven't worked out as planned.

Moore hit .222 with a .607 OPS in 63 games in 2013, then hit .231 with a .685 OPS this last season, shuttling back and forth between the majors and Triple-A Syracuse.

The 27-year-old still has shown the pop that he possesses, but the consistent offensive production hasn't been there. Part of that can probably be due to inconsistent playing time and struggle with handling the pinch-hitting role.

When getting a start as a big leaguer, Moore is hitting .254/.307/.447. When coming off the bench, Moore's slash line is .181/.244/.301. Big difference.

This will end up being a big few months for Moore, who is now out of options and won't be able to be sent down to the minors next season without being exposed to waivers.

With Adam LaRoche a free agent and not expected to return, and Ryan Zimmerman sliding across the diamond to play first base, Moore could potentially end up sticking on the Nats roster as a backup first baseman and reserve left fielder.

For that to happen, Moore would have to show he can put up consistent offensive numbers and improve as a pinch-hitter.

For now, Moore is crushing the ball in the Dominican Winter League while playing with Toros del Este.

In 14 games spanning 47 at-bats, Moore has hit a whopping .340/.484/.681. He's slugged five home runs, driven in 12 and drawn 14 walks to 13 strikeouts.

He's also stolen two bases. Watch out, Dominican league catchers.

Moore ranks second in the Dominican in slugging percentage, third in on-base percentage and is tied with Andy Marte for the most homers in the league.

That's certainly a good start. It's nice to see Moore working hard in the offseason and putting up big numbers. But the true test for him will come in spring training, when he needs to show that he can handle the backup first base job and serve as the potent right-handed bat off the bench that many people in the organization and around the league feel he can be.