Why Blue Jays Should Pursue Left-Hander Matt Moore
Not every name is glamorous. And for the Blue Jays, left-handed reliever Matt Moore might do the trick.
Toronto is the final act of an industrious offseason which saw the front office dish Teoscar Hernández for relief help, sign Kevin Kiermaier and Chris Bassitt, and then acquire left-handed-hitting outfielder Daulton Varsho. Busy, busy, busy.
Now, as we enter the New Year with around six weeks until spring training (pitchers and catchers report February 14), Jays general manager Ross Atkins can sit back, swirl a glass of wine, and admire the roster he’s put together. The Blue Jays’ new-look roster is solid, but even after adding Erik Swanson, the ‘pen could use a little more juice at a reasonable cost.
Moore is in the top tier of bargain free-agent additions. Once a staple in the Rays rotation in the early 2010s, the 33-year-old reversed some ill fortune in 2022, pitching to a 1.95 ERA in 74 innings out of the Rangers bullpen. Moore’s resurgence was incredible, as the lefty got the fastball humming around 94 mph and diced hitters for a career-high 10.1 K/9.
There’s plenty of reason to be skeptical about Moore (limited track record as a reliever, high walk rate, etc.), but, on a simple one-year deal, he’s nearly perfect for Toronto’s bullpen. A year ago, with Texas, Moore carved out a niche as a multi-inning reliever – he got four outs or more in 14 of his first 24 appearances – proving that he still has enough stamina to work longer if the pitch count stays low.
Of course, Toronto wouldn’t need Moore to work multiple innings all the time – Yusei Kikuchi, Mitch White, Nate Pearson, and Trent Thornton can all do that. Moore’s status as a left-hander is far more important. Last year, the Blue Jays went most of the season without a second lefty in the ‘pen aside from Tim Mayza. Toronto cycled through a graveyard of names (Tayler Saucedo, Matt Gage, Ryan Borucki, Andrew Vasquez, Anthony Banda, ugh), but no one managed more than a handful of appearances before getting the boot.
Trevor Richards was often leaned on as a relief option versus left-handed hitters. Thanks to his funky changeup, Richards owns reverse splits, though manager John Schneider liked dragging him out for multiple innings of work. In 2022, when Richards threw over 25 pitches in an outing, his opposing hitters tagged him for a 1.163 OPS. No thanks. Moore also allowed just three homers in 74 innings (0.4 HR/9), while Richards allowed nine in 64 innings (1.3 HR/9).
Moore is a cure for the lack of lefty-killing, multi-inning options (assuming Kikuchi starts in the rotation), even if left-handed hitters have slightly better career OPS numbers against him. Arsenal-wise, he’s good, too. His power curve is a nice little wrinkle, but it looks like the four-seamer was the difference-maker a year ago. Moore upped his fastball usage as the season went on, clearly becoming more confident with that pitch up in the zone, which is where he typically puts it.
Based on market value, Spotrac estimates Moore is worthy of a two-year deal worth $6.78 million (roughly $3.38 million per year). It’s doubtful the Blue Jays will buckle down for two years, but a one-year, $3-million heat-check signing carries low risk and high upside.
