*Photo from the Dallas Sports Fanatic*
Still looking for reinforcements, they found a solid one. The Los Angeles Angels and LHP Matt Moore have agreed to a one year, $7.55 million, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Angels have confirmed the signing.
Moore was one of the best relievers available, and now he's off to the Angels, who have had a busy offseason bolstering their depth with pitching and hitting help. The Angels will serve as Moore's 3rd stint in the AL West after having previously pitched for the Texas Rangers on two separate occasions.
Angels GM Perry Minasian said of Moore that "He had a really productive year in ’22, and the bullpen was an area we wanted to continue to improve. We really like what he brings to the table. He’s been a productive starter, but he transitioned to the bullpen last year, closed late in the year and got some saves, and he has the ability to pitch multiple innings. The improvement of the curveball was a big plus for him and the velo trended up."
Moore's second stint with the Rangers came last year, his first full season in the bullpen. Moore posted a 1.18 WHIP, 1.95 ERA, and 2.98 FIP, converting on 5 saves while throwing 74 innings over 63 relief appearances for the Rangers.
The change to the bullpen helped Moore revitalize his career. His average velocity on the fastball went from 92.4 miles an hour in 2021 to 93.9 in 2022. He also started using his curveball more often, going from a 15 percent usage rate in 2021 to over double that with a 38 percent rate in 2022.
Moore has played for 5 different teams over 11 seasons, with the Angels being his 6th. In that time, he has compiled a 4.45 ERA, 4.33 FIP, and 1.40 WHIP, making 164 starts and 104 relief appearances, totaling 1,041 2/3 innings pitched. Moore has a 3.33 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 3 starts and two relief appearances in the playoffs, totaling 24 1/3 innings.
The Angels bullpen adds Moore to a group that includes Carlos Estevez, Ryan Tepera, Aaron Loup, Jimmy Herget, and Jose Quijada, with Jaime Barria, Zack Weiss, and Andrew Wantz also in the mix for innings out of the bullpen.
Minasian said of the bullpen outlook that "Part of having a really good bullpen is having guys that can do different things at different times when things are needed. We feel like we have a really deep ‘pen with a lot of options. When you have a lot of options, you don’t necessarily have to go to the same hand every night, so you can keep guys fresh and strong for the six months of the season."
So far this offseason, the Angels have added Estevez, Moore, and starting pitcher Tyler Anderson to their pitching depth. On the hitting side, they've brought in Gio Urshela, Hunter Renfroe, Brett Phillips, and Brandon Drury.
Comments
Post a Comment