Matt Moore Free Agency: Former All-Star pitcher returns to Anaheim on a one-year deal with Angels
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Los Angeles Angels and reliever Matt Moore agreed to a one-year, $9 million contract. The left-handed pitcher will join the recently signed Robert Stephenson and previous free-agent signings Luis Garcia and Adam Cimber.
Moore went 4-1 with a 2.66 ERA in 41 games with the Angels last season before being claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Guardians on August 31. He finished the year with the Miami Marlins.
Earlier, 30-year-old Stephenson was signed to a three-year, $30 million contract. Last year, he posted a 3.10 ERA over 52 .1 innings in 60 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Tampa Bay Rays, despite starting on the injured list for the 2023 season.
In their first move this offseason, they onboarded Luis Garcia on a one-year, $4.25 million deal. He was with the San Diego Padres in the last two seasons and had an ERA of 4.07 across 61 appearances in 2023.
In the first week of December, they signed Adam Cimber on a one-year, $1.65 million deal.
He was not tendered by the Toronto Blue Jays after coming off his worst year, where he posted an ERA of 7.40 in 22 appearances. However, he had a dominant season one year prior to this, where he posted an ERA of 2.80 in 70.2 innings pitched.
LA Angels' bullpen depth
It seems clear as day that the Angels are working on their bullpen and have hauled it along with multiple signings this offseason.
For their starting rotation, the Anaheim club will have the services of Reid Detmers Griffin Canning, Chase Silseth, Patrick Sandoval and Tyler Anderson. Their closer will be Carlos Estevez.
In the bullpen, they will have Matt Moore, Ben Joyce, Luis Garcia, Andrew Wantz, Adam Cimber, Jimmy Herget, Kolton Ingram, Jose Suarez, Kelvin Caceres, Jack Kochanowicz, Austin Warren and Jose Quijada.
Among this, Austin Warren and Jose Quijada are suffering from a knee injury and will be out till July first week.