San Francisco Giants: Matt Moore addition could quietly pay dividends
By Tim Haberin
The San Francisco Giants dealt for lefty Matt Moore from the Tampa Bay Rays, hoping to stabilize the middle of their rotation.
Among the flurry of today’s trade deadline deals, the San Francisco Giants acquired starting pitcher Matt Moore from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for third baseman Matt Duffy, minor league shortstop Lucius Fox and minor league pitcher Michael Santos.
The Giants will hope that Moore provides some aid to a rotation that is beginning to flag a bit after the dominant one-two punch of Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto. After a surprisingly hot start to the season, Jeff Samardzija has looked more like the pitcher who led the league in hits and earned runs allowed a year ago. Since the beginning of June, he has posted a bloated 6.21 ERA over ten starts.
The back-end of the staff hasn’t been much better. Veteran righty Jake Peavy is showing his age, owning a lackluster 5.47 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 21 outings. Matt Cain has struggled as well, putting up a 5.53 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 14 trips to the hill.
After bolstering their bullpen today with Will Smith, adding a starter was another big need on the Giants’ list. Unfortunately, there weren’t too many to choose from. Heavyweights like Chris Sale and Chris Archer would likely have cost more than San Francisco could afford in terms of impact prospects. So they settled on a shrewd, buy-low move on a hurler who could be turning the corner.
Moore missed virtually all of 2014 due to Tommy John surgery, and he scuffled upon returning last year to the tune of a 5.43 ERA in 12 starts. The current campaign started much the same, but the 27-year-old lefty has been turning in performances lately that are much more reminiscent of those that made him an All-Star in 2013.
Overall, Moore sports an unremarkable 4.07 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 2.73 K/BB on the year. However, in nine starts dating back to June 12, he has posted a 2.39 ERA while limiting opponents to a .199 batting average. All but one of those outings were quality starts. Moore is also working the lowest BB/9 of his career thus far (2.8), and his 7.5 K/9 is his highest in three seasons.
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These encouraging signs, coupled with a move to pitcher-friendly AT&T Park, could mean good things in the future for Moore and his new club. He also gives the Giants another lefty in the rotation alongside Bumgarner. Moore’s contract includes team options the next three seasons, providing San Francisco with some flexibility in terms of commitment as well.
The Rays take back third baseman Matt Duffy, who was an unexpected dark horse NL Rookie of the Year candidate last year. He slashed .295/.334/.428 on the season with 12 home runs and 77 RBI, finishing as the runner-up to Kris Bryant. This year has been a real disappointment, though. Duffy’s line has sagged to .253/.313/.358 over 70 games and he has managed just four homers and 21 RBI. He’s been out since June 20 with an Achilles injury.
Duffy was showing signs of life before hitting the disabled list, however. In 67 plate appearances in June, he slashed a much more respectable .288/.338/.424. Still only 25 years old and under team control through 2020, the Rays will hope he turns it around and provides them depth behind Evan Longoria at the hot corner. He’s also played some second base and shortstop during his time in the big leagues.
19-year-old Lucius Fox is a shortstop who had been playing with the Giants’ Class A affiliate Augusta GreenJackets. Although he hasn’t hit much at all this year (.207/.305/.277), he has showed off his speed in swiping 25 bags. Michael Santos is a 21-year-old right-handed pitcher who had put up a 2.91 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in ten starts, also at Augusta. MLB Pipeline now places Fox at #7 in the Rays system and Santos at #30.
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With the Dodgers breathing down the Giants’ necks in the NL West, they will hope Moore continues getting himself on track and provides a steadying presence in the middle of the rotation as they attempt to hold on to their division lead.