A 37-Year-Old Released By The Red Sox Last Year? The Royals Are Truly Scrambling For Pitching
Okay, so get this, folks. The Kansas City Royals are apparently hitting the panic button HARD when it comes to their pitching staff, because they just pulled off a move that screams "desperation." We're talking about a minor league deal for veteran lefty Matt Moore, a guy who's 37 years old and couldn't even stick with the Red Sox organization last year! If that doesn't tell you how dire things are in K.C., I don't know what will.
From All-Star Flash to Global Journey
Look, no shade to Moore's past. The dude actually had a pretty legit career back in the day. He's been around for 13 years in the big leagues, bouncing between teams like the Rays, Giants, Rangers, Tigers, Phillies, Angels, Guardians, and Marlins. Back in 2013, he was a legit All-Star starter for Tampa Bay. That's no joke, right? He was even considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball once upon a time. Then came the Tommy John surgery, which is always a gut punch, but he fought back and had a solid 2016 season.
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Moore's journey really got wild after that. He missed most of 2019 with a knee injury, then dipped out of the States entirely in 2020 to play ball for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Japan. How many guys do that? He made his comeback to American baseball in 2021 and switched gears completely, converting to a bullpen arm in 2023. And get this, he actually had a fantastic run that year with the Rangers, posting a sparkling 1.95 ERA over 63 appearances. You gotta respect that kind of resilience.
The Steep Decline And The Royals' Injury Nightmare
But here's where things get real for the Royals. While that 2023 performance was great, Moore's most recent big-league stint wasn't so hot. In 2024, he pitched in 51 games for the Angels, and his ERA ballooned to a 5.03. Ouch. Then last year, he signed with the Red Sox, but arm soreness derailed everything, and they released him before he ever threw a single pitch for them. So, the guy they just signed to a minor league deal has a career 4.39 ERA and hasn't had a clean bill of health recently.
Why are the Royals doing this? Because their pitching staff is absolutely decimated. The source says they've been "searching under every rock" for arms. They're without starters Kris Bubic and Cole Ragans, plus relievers Nick Mears and Carlos Estévez are also on the shelf. This week alone, they've already brought in Connor Seabold and Randy Dobnak just to fill spots. This Matt Moore signing is just another move in a frantic scramble to find anyone who can throw strikes, hoping maybe, just maybe, he can find some of that old All-Star magic, or at least his 2023 bullpen form. It’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward play, but man, it shows you how deep in the hole they are right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.