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Philadelphia Phillies: 5 players who might be due for a rough 2021 season

By David Esser

Sep 14, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) reacts after striking out against the Miami Marlins in the eighth inning of the game at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 14, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) reacts after striking out against the Miami Marlins in the eighth inning of the game at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports /
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Philadelphia Phillies Matt Moore
TORONTO, ON – MARCH 31: Matt Moore #51 of the Detroit Tigers walks off the mound after retiring the side in the sixth inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on March 31, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /

Matt Moore, LHP

It’s not super clear what the Philadelphia Phillies expect Matt Moore‘s role to be this upcoming season, but one can only assume that he’ll make at least a handful of starts for the team during the regular season. After all, Dave Dombrowski handed him a $3 million contract during an offseason where funds are extremely limited.

That’s a pretty good sign that the Phils are confident in his ability to contribute at a major league level.

However, Moore hasn’t actually pitched at a consistent level in the MLB in quite some time now. The left-hander posted a 5.52 ERA in 2017, a 6.79 ERA in 2018, and then only made two starts in 2019.

Moore spent 2020 pitching over in Japan, which actually went pretty well for him, hence why the Phillies opted to bring him in on a one-year contract.

However, Moore is now re-entering an MLB landscape that hasn’t been particularly friendly to him the last couple of years. If he ends up as a permanent option in the Phillies starting rotation (like his contract would suggest), he’ll be tasked with getting outs against the likes of Juan Soto, Ronald Acuna Jr., and Francisco Lindor on a regular basis.

Not exactly a “smooth” transition back into the major leagues.

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