The Royals announced Saturday that they have signed 13-year MLB veteran pitcher Matt Moore to a Minor League contract.
Moore, who turned 37 years old on Thursday, last pitched in the Majors while with the Angels in 2024. He signed a Minor League deal with the Red Sox in February 2025 but never made an appearance before being released that April.
Moore, an eighth-round Draft pick by Tampa Bay in 2007, made his big league debut on Sept. 14, 2011. Only about two weeks later, the left-hander threw seven scoreless innings in just his fourth Major League appearance (regular season and postseason combined) in ALDS Game 1 against the Rangers.
Moore was the No. 1 prospect in MLB heading into the 2012 season and struck out 175 batters in 177 1/3 innings for the Rays that year before making the All-Star team at 24 years old in '13. That year, he finished with a 17-4 record and a 3.29 ERA across 150 1/3 innings and received down-ballot AL Cy Young votes.
Injuries heavily impacted Moore’s performance after that, and he was eventually traded to the Giants in 2016.
From 2017-21, while spending time with the Giants, Rangers, Tigers and Phillies, Moore posted a 5.89 ERA over 359 1/3 MLB innings. He also spent the 2020 season pitching in Japan.
However, a transition to a full-time relief role in 2022 revitalized his career, as he had a 1.95 ERA and 83 K’s in 74 innings (63 appearances) with Texas.
Moore made 50 appearances split among the Angels, Guardians and Marlins in 2023 before producing a 5.03 ERA across 51 appearances with the Halos in ‘24.