Overview
- The Royals announced Saturday that they signed 13-year major league veteran Matt Moore to a Minor League contract, marking his return to pro baseball after not pitching in 2025.
- Moore has not appeared in a pro game since Aug. 25, 2024, and his 2025 Red Sox stint ended without an outing because of arm soreness that led to his April release.
- Once MLB’s top pitching prospect and a 2013 All-Star, Moore rebuilt his career by converting to a reliever in 2022 and posting a 2.20 ERA across 2022–23 before struggling to a 5.03 ERA in 2024.
- The deal does not place Moore on Kansas City’s 40-man roster, so he must be added to that roster to reach the majors and could remain a minor-league depth piece or a tradeable asset if he performs.
- For Moore, the signing is a comeback chance late in his career; for the Royals, it is a low-risk move to bolster a bullpen hit by injuries and to test whether his arm and form can return to big-league levels.