Spencer Turnbull
After being drafted by the Detroit Tigers during the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft, Spencer Turnbull slowly but surely became a fixture in the Tigers’ rotation by 2019. After having the undistinguished honor of being the starter with the most losses in 2019 with 17, Turnbull used that as motivation to fuel his rise in the following couple of seasons.
In fact, in 2021, he was putting stellar numbers across the board, with a sparkling 2.88 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, along with a complete game shutout for good measure. However, injuries beset his once-promising career, as Turnbull only saw 16 games of action between 2021 and 2023.
Nevertheless, the Phillies took a flier on the 31-year-old right-hander when they signed him to a one-year deal during the 2023-24 offseason. Turnbull rediscovered some of his prior dominant form when he compiled a 3-0 record with a 2.65 ERA and 1.05 WHIP, along with 58 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings pitched over 17 appearances. More significantly, he was solid as a rock in the seven starts that he made with the Phillies, amassing a tidy 1.78 ERA and 0.85 WHIP.
Unfortunately, Turnbull’s injury woes surfaced once again, knocking him out for the bulk of the second half of the season. He would have been an ideal fit as the Phillies’ fifth starter. But with his unpredictable injuries, along with Philadelphia adding Jesús Luzardo this offseason via a trade with the Miami Marlins, his services were no longer needed. Nevertheless, when healthy, Turnbull has proven to be a quality MLB starter, so it will now come down to who will give him that opportunity once again.
Matt Moore
For a pitcher who began his MLB career as one of the elite starters in the league, Matt Moore has now evolved into one of the better lefty relievers in the game in recent years. Unfortunately for the Phillies, they didn’t get either version of Moore during his time with the ballclub.
Philadelphia signed Moore to a one-year deal during the 2020-21 offseason after his strong showing in Japan where he was aiming to revitalize his career just the season prior. Using him as both a starter and a reliever during his tenure with the team, Moore failed miserably to find his groove. In 24 appearances that included 13 starts, he compiled a 2-4 record with an abysmal 6.29 ERA and 1.59 WHIP, while giving up a whopping 51 earned runs, including 15 home runs in 73 innings pitched.
Who would have thought that upon moving on from Philadelphia, Moore would find his game as a reliever in subsequent seasons? With a sub-3.00 ERA, sub-1.20 WHIP and close to 30 percent strikeout rate, he became one of the nastiest lefties coming out of the bullpen in all of baseball.
Last season, Moore had an off year, posting a 5.03 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 51 relief appearances. But a lot of it could be attributed to the struggling Los Angeles Angels, who were among the league leaders in runs given up in 2024. Given that Moore was among the best in the league just two years prior, prospective teams looking for a solid lefty to add to their relief corps should come calling for him soon.