Red Sox officially announce the signing of veteran left-hander who'll compete for bullpen role
The Red Sox officially announced the signing of left-handed reliever Matt Moore on Sunday morning.
Moore, 35, threw a bullpen session at Fenway South prior to the Sox and Blue Jays game. The lefty will compete in camp for a spot in the bullpen that should feature two fellow southpaws, Justin Wilson and Aroldis Chapman.
“Just another experienced guy that is going to compete for a spot,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters on Sunday morning. “He had a great season a few years ago. He understands what he needs to do. Physically, he looks great, just like Adam (Ottavino), just another adult in the room. They’ve been there for a while in this grind, and they understand what it takes. Where we are as a team now, experience comes into play.”
The need for another lefty became necessary after the Red Sox shut down Zach Penrod, who is dealing with an elbow issue. 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.
“He’s gonna be out for a while,” Cora said to reporters. “Nothing structural. Elbow inflammation, so we’ll shut him down for now. We’re not talking surgery but rehab, and we’ll see how it goes.”
With Moore now in the mix, the Sox added another veteran pitcher who should have a legitimate shot at making the team out of camp. He will also compete with Jovani Moran and Sean Newcomb who are also in camp after receiving a non-roster invite to spring training.
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).
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.
