Phillies, left-hander Matt Moore reach a one-year, $3 million agreement

Three weeks from the scheduled opening of spring training, the Phillies know one thing for certain: They need more innings from their pitchers.

On Friday, they acquired Moore innings.

The Phillies are in agreement on a one-year, major-league contract with veteran left-hander Matt Moore, two sources confirmed. Pending completion of a physical, the deal will be worth $3 million, plus potential incentives.

Moore, 31, pitched in Japan last year and posted a 2.65 ERA in 15 starts for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Because Nippon Professional Baseball began its season one month earlier than Major League Baseball, Moore was able to work 85 innings, one more than major-league leader Lance Lynn and 13 2/3 more than Phillies leader Aaron Nola.

Across baseball, teams will be challenged to budget nearly 1,500 innings for a full season after a 60-game schedule in 2020. Pitching depth, particularly within starting rotations, will be paramount.

The Phillies lack depth behind Nola, Zack Wheeler, and Zach Eflin. Moore will have a strong chance to win a spot in an otherwise all-right-handed rotation. Spencer Howard and Vince Velasquez will represent his primary competition in spring training.

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But the Phillies will need as many starters as possible. As pitchers recondition their arms for the rigors of a six-month season, general manager Sam Fuld and pitching coach Caleb Cotham said recently that the Phillies will consider a six-man rotation or splitting up games between two starters in a “piggyback” situation. Howard, in particular, will be closely monitored after a shoulder issue caused him to miss time in 2019 and 2020.

Moore last pitched in the majors with the Detroit Tigers in 2019 but made only two starts before tearing the meniscus in his right knee and requiring season-ending surgery. His best years came with the Tampa Bay Rays, for whom he posted a 3.88 ERA in 94 starts from 2011-16. He excelled at elevating his fastball and was effective with both his changeup and curveball.

But Moore has struggled since the Rays sent him to San Francisco in a 2016 waiver trade. He had a 5.52 ERA in 174 1/3 innings (31 starts) for the Giants in 2017 and a 6.79 mark in 102 innings (12 starts) for the Texas Rangers in 2018.

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The Phillies are expected to continue hunting for low-cost pitching over the next few weeks. They recently scouted free-agent right-handers Anibal Sanchez and Julio Teheran at their workout in Florida and signed veteran right-hander Ivan Nova and righty Bryan Mitchell to minor-league deals earlier this week.

Several other veteran starters are still unsigned, including Rick Porcello, Brett Anderson, and Gio Gonzalez. If the Phillies are unable to sign shortstop Didi Gregorius, they could pivot to allocating more money to the rotation or the bullpen.

Including this week’s signing of J.T. Realmuto and the agreement with Moore, the Phillies’ 2021 payroll stands at approximately $147.3 million, $175 million for luxury-tax purposes. Three days after agreeing to terms on a five-year, $115.5 million contract with Realmuto, the Phillies on Friday announced the deal.

Internally, Ramon Rosso, Adonis Medina, and lefties Ranger Suarez, Cole Irvin, and Damon Jones will be in the mix as depth starters.

NBC Sports Philadelphia was first to report the agreement with Moore.