New Red Sox left-handed reliever reveals why he signed with Boston; 'We think we can help you'

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The Red Sox added additional veteran depth to their bullpen this spring when they signed left-handed reliever Matt Moore to a minor league deal, which also includes a non-roster invite to camp.

Moore held throwing sessions for scouts in the Phoenix area earlier this month, one on Valentine’s Day and a second one on February 18, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, who spoke to the lefty down at Fenway South on Wednesday.

The southpaw signed with the Red Sox and reported to JetBlue Park within 48 hours of his last throwing session.

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“Most of the interest was trying to gauge where my health was at," Moore said Wednesday. “I had to throw for clubs and work out for clubs, so (the interest) wasn’t as strong as it had been in the past when I’m coming off the healthy years.

“It was really to just check and make sure I’m healthy. I threw 35 pitches, which is a little more than I normally throw in a ‘pen, but I just wanted to leave no doubt that I felt back to normal."

Moore was added when Zach Penrod went down with an elbow injury, and the club needed another potential lefty to compete for a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. Penrod had an MRI on Saturday, which revealed no structural damage, and he’s not expected to undergo Tommy John surgery or any other procedure on his throwing elbow. The tests on his throwing arm and elbow also indicated that his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is intact.

Moore will compete with Jovani Moran and Sean Newcomb, who are also in camp after receiving a non-roster invite to spring training. Newcomb pitched on Tuesday and looked good in two innings against the Braves. The Mass. native gave up one hit, no runs, no walks and struck out three. Newcomb is not a candidate to start but has plenty of big league experience and could be a viable option for Alex Cora and Andrew Bailey.

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Boston is hopeful that Moore is not the pitcher he was last season, when he struggled with the Angels. He posted a 5.03 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 41 strikeouts, and 26 walks in 51 relief outings (48 1/3 frames).

"It’s just, ‘Hey, we like you; we think we can help you get back to a place where you’ve been recently. We’d like for you to be a part of the process, “ Moore said about the Red Sox pitch to bring him to Fort Myers. ”That’s really just about it."

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“As a player, it’s when there’s interest in you that’s stronger than maybe other spots," he said. “‘Hey, we think we can help you,' or ‘Hey, we can see a fit for you here.’ I think that’s the stuff we want to hear as opposed to, ‘You can come try out.‘ For me, I think it was just the interest level felt right."

The southpaw owns a career 4.39 ERA in 369 outings, including 164 starts. He has a 3.64 ERA in 205 relief outings over his career. If Moore makes the Red Sox Opening Day roster, this will be the ninth team he will have played for during his big league career.