Boston reunited with reliever Adam Ottavino on Feb. 18, and two days later, it signed lefty reliever Matt Moore to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training, reported by Rob Bradford of WEEI. He’ll have the opportunity to opt out of his deal with Boston if he doesn’t make the major league roster out of camp.
Moore, 35, is a 13-year MLB veteran who most recently played for the Angels. He was formerly a top prospect during his tenure with the division-rival Rays (then Devil Rays) and even earned Cy Young Award votes and an All-Star nod in 2013. He never fully lived up to his hype, though, and has been a journeyman ever since. He’s played on eight different MLB teams, the Sox will be his ninth.
Moore posted a 5.03 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 26 walks over 48.1 innings with the Angels last year, but he’s been excellent as recently as 2023. He logged a 2.56 ERA with 60 strikeouts and 15 walks with three different teams two seasons ago and a 1.95 ERA over 74 frames the year before that.
Red Sox sign former Rays reliever Matt Moore to minor league deal with spring training invite
Alex Cora announced earlier on Feb. 20 that lefty reliever Zach Penrod has been experiencing elbow soreness and underwent an MRI to check for any damage. Cora sounded concerned for the 27-year-old and Boston’s quick signing of Moore suggests Penrod could be sidelined for a long time, although his MRI results have not yet been released.
Moore joins Ottavino, Michael Fulmer, Jovani Moran, Austin Adams, Isaiah Campbell and more as non-roster invitees in the mix for spots in Boston’s bullpen.
Why Red Sox might move Rafael Devers off 3B despite protests
Who is going to play third base at Fenway?
“The money in this situation is such that they are buying Rafael Devers’ bat and they can move him wherever the hell they want to,” Passan said on the Baseball Tonight podcast. “The only question for me at this point is; does this get ugly to the point where he wants out?”
Bregman may only be in Boston for one year, as he has a player option after every year of his contract. That is not worth trading the franchise cornerstone for. Devers is under contract through 2032 and is the face of the Red Sox. But if things get nasty, maybe there is a move on the horizon.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora has publically spoken about playing Bregman at second base and shut down moving Devers. But that may not be the reality as spring training opens.
What should the Red Sox do at third base?
The Red Sox created this drama by signing Bregman. They had to see it coming and must have presented a plan to Bregman to get him to sign. With the other offers from the Cubs and the Tigers on the table, Bregman likely would not have signed in Boston if his position was a question.
The plan is likely to play Bregman at second base and keep Devers at third to start the season. If Tristan Casas gets hurt, Devers can move to first and Bregman can play third. And if Devers gets hurt, Bregman can play the hot corner. Positional versatility is important when building an infield and they have that in spades.
Bregman is important to the Red Sox because he is a righty hitter, something they lack in their lineup. And with the Green Monster out in left field asking for homers and easy doubles just like the Crawford Boxes, Bregman should fit in offensively just fine. Finding a place for him in the infield should be easy and not necessitate a trade of Rafael Devers.
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