3 free agent bullpen arms the Mariners need to target for 2024

Mariners Bullpen Target: Matt Moore - 1 year, $7-$8 million

Matt Moore is a familiar name, having spent time with 8 different teams, his potential was very well-known early in his career. He never really reached that full potential as a highly touted left-handed prospect, but he has really carved out a valuable role later in his career as a very solid reliever. 2022 saw him throw 74 innings with a 10.1 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 and a minuscule 1.95 ERA. He followed that up with a very solid 2023, throwing 52 2/3 innings. He cut his walk rate down to 2.6 BB/9 while maintaining his strikeout ability, to a 10.3 K/9, and an impressive 2.56 ERA.

As you can see from the tweet above, Matt Moore has gotten a lot more value out of his curveball since 2021. The shape of his curveball looks vastly different, as it is harder and sharper versus the loopier 2019 version. His whiff % went from 15.7% in 2021, to 29.5% in 2022 and up to 32.4% in 2023. Moore is a veteran that gives a pretty young bullpen, some experience and leadership that could serve guys like Brash, Munoz, and Campbell well. He signed with the Angels last year on a 1 year $7.5 million dollar deal, and being that he will turn 35 in June of 2024, he will require no more than a 1-year deal, and I would be interested in the $7-$8-million-dollar range.