Baltimore Orioles Hot Stove: Should O’s go after pitcher Peter Moylan?

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 23: Peter Moylan #47 of the Kansas City Royals throws against the Texas Rangers in the sixth inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on April 23, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 23: Peter Moylan #47 of the Kansas City Royals throws against the Texas Rangers in the sixth inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on April 23, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald /
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The Baltimore Orioles need starting pitchers, but the latest rumor regarding the Hot Stove season is about acquiring reliever Peter Moylan.

The Baltimore Orioles already have a quality bullpen. However, the latest rumors about the team listening to inquiries about Zach Britton could make this acquisition useful.

So, should the Orioles go for the right-handed Australian pitcher who threw relief in a league-high 79 games in 2017? Maybe.

The rumor about Moylan was shared on Twitter by Mark Bowman.

Pitching for the Kansas City Royals, Moylan finished the 2017 season with an ERA of 3.49 and a WHIP of 1.096. He made $1 million pitching in relief, seeing 59.1 innings. The right-handed pitcher gave up four home runs and a batting average against of .189. He struck out 46 batters. This was one of his best seasons as his career batting-average-against stat is .237.

These are all good reasons to give Moylan a look for the 2018 season. But, there is a good reason to give him a pass. His age. He will be 39 in December.

So, if the Orioles do decide to add him to the roster, it should only be for one season. However, Moylan has already served in a coaching position when he was with the Atlanta Braves in 2015. So, he could technically be a player/coach on any team that he signs with for 2018. According to an article by Mark Bowman with MLB.com, in 2015 Moylan had an

"“[O]ffer to spend this season as a player-coach for Rookie Level Danville and then potentially come to big league camp as one of Atlanta’s non-roster invitees next year.”"

Moylan had Tommy John surgery in 2014, so he sat out that season, but he did pitch in 39 innings between the Braves and their Triple-A team in 2015. Then the Royals picked him up in 2016 and 2017.

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According to Fangraphs, Moylan has a fastball-sinker that averages around 90 MPH and he has a slider that hits the high 70s. He splits time between these two pitches and has a mid-80s changeup when he wants to surprise a batter or two. These pitches have done well for him in his later years.

He has 11 years of service in the MLB and has proven to be a consistent situational reliever. His worst season was in 2013 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Other than that, he has consistently had ERAs under 4.00 and reasonable WHIP numbers. His career ERA is 3.0 and his career WHIP is 1.281.

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Despite being 39 in the upcoming season, Moylan would most likely be an asset to the team. At his low cost, a disappointing season would not be overwhelming for the team.