Going into Spring Training the Dodgers needed to clear a 40-man roster space to accommodate outfielder Franklin Gutierrez whom they had recently signed as a free agent. They had a number of ways to accomplish that, but chose to trade left-hander Vidal Nuño – whom they had acquired from the Seattle Mariners on November 7, 2016. It was an interesting move as a left-handed relief specialist is always in demand and valued as a useful asset to have in the roster toolbox. Additionally, Nuño had not yet thrown a pitch in a Spring Training game as a Dodger.

Even more interestingly, they traded Nuño to the Baltimore Orioles for 22-year-old right-hander Ryan Moseley who has pitched but 19.2 innings of professional baseball, having done so with the Short-A Aberdeen IronBirds of the New York-Penn League in 2016.

Moseley was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas, a city located in the northwestern part of the state. During his high school and university years, the 6’-3” / 190-pound former catcher stayed close to home. More specifically, he stayed at home, attending both high school and university in Lubbock.

As a senior at Cooper High School in Lubbock, he compiled a 10-2 record as a starting pitcher with an ERA of 1.78 and 111 strikeouts in 78.2 innings pitched.

Moseley was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 36th round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft but committed to Texas Tech, his hometown university. That might offer a clue as to why the Dodgers were interested in him as part of the Nuno trade. Dodgers President of Baseball Operations – Andrew Friedman – was the General Manager in Tampa Bay when Moseley was drafted by the Rays in 2013.

Ryan Moseley
(Photo courtesy lubbockonline.com

Moseley chose not to sign with the Rays but honored him commitment to Texas Tech University. As a sophomore with the Red Raiders, he made 12 starts posting a 3.41 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 65 innings pitched. In his junior year in 2016 he was removed from the starting rotation after four starts and finished the season with 21 relief appearances. His season was not what he had hoped for as he finished with an ERA of 4.89 while walking as many hitters as he struck out.

His draft stock no doubt fell somewhat as going into the season in his junior year Moseley was considered to have the ability to be one of the Big 12’s top starting pitchers. However, the Baltimore Orioles still selected him in the eighth round of the 2016 June Draft.

MLB.com provided the following scouting report: “There’s no doubt that Moseley has enough pitches to start. His primary weapon is a 91-95 mph fastball with power sink. Both of his low-80s secondary pitches can be at least above-average offerings at their best, with his lively change-up more consistent than his slider. The problem is that Moseley’s control and command aren’t sharp, which gets him in trouble because he’s more hittable than he should be and runs up his pitch counts too quickly. His stuff is more electric in shorter stints, so he could become a high-leverage reliever in the big leagues, but pro clubs aren’t ready to give up on him as a starter.”

Moseley was one of 10 Red Raiders to be selected in the 2016 MLB draft. Not surprisingly, that was a team best on draft day for Texas Tech and speaks to the quality of the baseball program at his hometown university.

Ryan Moseley was noticeably upset when Texas Tech lost the College World Series in a 7-5 defeat at the hands of Coastal Carolina. However, grateful for the opportunity to play in an elite college baseball program, he was ready to move on.

“It’s been a great three years, but I mean it’s about time for me to start my professional career right now,” Moseley, the eighth-round draft pick to the Baltimore Orioles, said. “It’s been fun, all of this, but I think it’s the right time. I’ve accomplished a lot at this school. It’s my dream to play here. I’ve done what I’ve needed to do. It’s been fun.”

Added Tech coach Tim Tadlock: “We love every one of them. They’re a special group. They represent the school and the community in a great way. They handled their business in the classroom. They’re a bunch of guys we’re looking forward to watching them grow in their careers.”

Moseley reported to the Aberdeen IronBirds of the New York-Penn short season league and made his professional debut on July 19 against the Staten Island Yankees. On the season, he made 12 relief appearances posting a 3.20 ERA along with a WHIP of 1.17 and limiting his opponents to a .191 batting average. He struck out 18 in 19.2 innings and walked nine.

The young right-hander will pitch the entire 2017 season as a 22-year-old so is somewhat age appropriate for the Great Lakes Loons of the Class-A Midwest League. At some point in the season, perhaps even on opening day, Ryan Moseley will no doubt be a teammate with right-hander Dustin May who was selected by the Dodgers in the 3rd round of the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Northwest High School in Justin, Texas. May had committed to Texas Tech – Moseley’s alma mater – in the fall of 2015 but instead signed with the Dodgers the following June.