Angels News: Matt Moore's Humble Decision Found Him a Home in LA
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Fans of the Los Angeles Angels who are also new to the MLB know Matt Moore as one of LA's top options out of the bullpen. Having appeared in 22 games for the Halos this season, he has posted a 1.44 ERA with 22 strikeouts. However, there is a lot of baggage that comes with his career and there was an even a moment in time where he thought he was done.
Moore is 33-years-old and has found the perfect role for him with an Angels squad that initially struggled within the bullpen early in the year.
He spent the majority of the first stretch of his MLB career with the Tampa Bay Rays and then also went on to suit up for the San Fransisco Giants and the Philadelphia Phillies. Moore was viewed as a top prospect coming into the league and was set to be the next great Rays pitcher before Tommy John surgery took him out in 2014.
There are not many things worse for a pitcher to hear other than the news of TJ surgery but Moore did his best to come back effectively. Unfortunately, he struggled mightily as his ERA was above 4.00 for each of the next eight seasons he played and went as high as 6.79 during a 2018 stint with the Rangers.
Moore admitted that when he got a shot with the Phillies, he didn't know how guaranteed his future in baseball was.
“The reality was that I might actually, for the first time, be told that, ‘Hey this is your last day as a Phillie,’” Moore said. “It’s just a part of it, that I think at some point everybody goes through.”
(Via The Athletic)
However, a couple of key decisions highlighting Moore's humble spirit helped him get back on track. He took a break from the MLB and grinded out some reps in Japan.
When he returned, he found his way to the Rangers once again in 2022 but this time, he started in the minors and worked his way to a bullpen role where he impressed.
LA was sold on what they saw from him and welcomed him after that season on a $7 million contract. He's now playing some of the best baseball of his career and serves as a prime example to make the tough decisions sometimes for your future.
