The Philadelphia Phillies now have decisions to make near the back of the rotation, following the recent free-agent signings of Chase Anderson and Matt Moore. While the club is taking a chance on the veterans, both are poised to add value to the 2021 starting rotation.
Anderson and Moore are looking to rebound from recent career declines and could provide value to a Phillies team that lacked pitching depth last season. Depth will prove to be valuable in the coming season, as pitchers adjust from the 60-game sprint in 2020 to a 162-game marathon.
Anderson, a right-handed pitcher, and Moore, a southpaw, have some similarities in their careers. Both look for their 55th career major-league win. Anderson has a career 4.06 ERA and 1.275 WHIP in 890 2/3 innings pitched, across 176 games, while Moore has a career 4.51 ERA and 1.402 WHIP spanning 894 2/3 frames and 181 contests. Anderson is 33 years old and was drafted in the ninth round of the 2009 MLB draft, while Moore is 31 and was drafted in the eighth round in 2007.
Both new Phillies pitchers had early-career success with their respective teams.
Anderson finished 10th in Rookie of the Year voting with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014, where he posted a 9-7 record, 4.01 ERA and 1.373 WHIP. After a second season in Phoenix, he was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers — where his best season came in his second year with the club. In 2017, Anderson posted a 12-4 record, 2.74 ERA and 1.090 WHIP, while striking out 133 batters, in 25 starts.
The end of his time with the Brewers saw his numbers decline, with a 3.93 ERA in 2018 and a 4.21 ERA in 2019. He did not see any postseason action during the team’s NLCS run in 2018 and Wild Card appearance in 2019.
Anderson is coming off of his worst career season, when in 2020 with the Toronto Blue Jays, he had a 7.22 ERA and 1.634 WHIP in 10 games and seven starts. He started the shortened season on the injured list with an oblique injury, before making his season debut on August 8. A couples of weeks later, the right-hander gave up a pair of runs (one earned) off of four hits and a walk in 3 2/3 innings opposite the Joe Girardi-led Phillies. The Jays declined his $9.5 million option for 2021, making him a free agent.