Rumored Red Sox Target Reportedly Signs Elsewhere; Would've Been Perfect Bullpen Arm

Boston will have to look elsewhere if it wants to add another bullpen piece

Another potential Boston Red Sox target reportedly is off the board. 

Former All-Star Matt Moore was heavily tied to the Red Sox at one point this offseason, but the left-handed hurler reportedly signed instead with the Los Angeles Angeles on Thursday, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. 

Free-agent left-handed reliever Matt Moore closing in on deal with Angels, a source tells @TheAthletic. Moore, 33, posted a 1.95 ERA and held opponents to a .564 OPS in 74 innings with the Rangers last season.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 16, 2023

Moore signed a minor-league deal with the Texas Rangers ahead of the 2022 campaign and responded with arguably the best season of his career. The left transitioned to a full-time bullpen role for the first time in his career and shined to the tune of a minuscule 1.95 ERA in 63 appearances. Moore struck out 83 batters in 74 innings pitched for an impressive 10.1 strikeout per nine innings rate. 

The 33-year-old was at one point one of the league's best starting pitchers -- even making an All-Star appearance in 2013 -- but injuries and inconsistent play then turned his career on its head. Since leaving the Rays in 2016 Moore has played for the San Francisco Giants, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Rangers.

If he's able to maintain his momentum from last season into 2023, he should be a major pickup for the Angels whose bullpen was middle of the pack in 2022 with a combined ERA of 3.95. 

While one season of impressive play out of the bullpen is a small sample size, his advanced analytics were off the charts. He finished in the 87th percentile in expected ERA with expected weighted on-base average, 91st percentile in barrel percentage, 85th percentile in whiff percentage, 84th percentile in fastball spin rate, 93rd percentile in hard-hit ball percentage, and 94th percentile in expected batting average and expected slugging percentage.  

There's always a chance that he doesn't pan out for the Angels, but the advanced analytics clearly state that a move to the bullpen was the right fit for him and he should be able to recreate his 2022 success in 2023. 

If the Red Sox were to have signed him, he would've given the team a third left-handed option out of the bullpen and helped shore it up even more so. Boston had one of the worst bullpens in all of baseball in 2022 and have undergone almost a complete overhaul this offseason. Moore would've been the perfect final piece of the puzzle for Boston's bullpen, but it seems as if it will roll into the 2023 campaign with what it currently has and see what happens. 

More MLB: Red Sox Officially Add Infield Depth By Reuniting With Journeyman In Surprise Move