Good morning, Mets fans! Today’s rumor roundup is all about pitchers – some more valuable than others. And although they have yet to grab headlines, there have been signings to dissect.

Phillies Meet with Corbin

While talks themselves have yet to go anywhere between southpaw Patrick Corbin and the Philadelphia Phillies, things may change very soon. As first reported by Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philly, the two sides met yesterday morning at Citizens Bank Park, with Corbin being “high on the Phillies’ wish list.”

Corbin, 29, is fresh off a career year with the Arizona Diamondbacks in which he posted a career-best 3.15 ERA, 2.47 FIP, 1.05 WHIP, 5.13 K/BB ratio, and 48.5% groundball rate. His opponent chase-rate of 38% led the majors in 2018, and his 6.3 fWAR was the fourth-best in baseball behind Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Justin Verlander. Corbin had previously been listed as one of several high-profile free agents in whom the Phillies were interested, and clearly remains an important component in the organization’s master plan to make the biggest splash of the offseason. The common opinion around baseball is that he will cost upwards of $100MM.

Rangers to Sign Chavez 

The most noteworthy reliever deal to this point in the offseason, right-hander Jesse Chavez and the Texas Rangers have agreed to terms on a two-year, $8MM contract (financials first reported by Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, though MLB.com‘s Mark Feinsand was the first to indicate that the sides had been nearing an agreement).

Chavez, 35, pitched to a 3.51 ERA and 4.33 FIP in 30 games with the Rangers last year before being dealt to the Chicago Cubs, with whom he put up a 1.0 fWAR across 39 innings (just 0.1 behind bullpen leader Carl Edwards Jr.). A 1.15 ERA, 0.795 WHIP, 1.15 ERA, 8.40 K/BB ratio, and 97% strand-rate marked an unlikely transformation for Chavez, who despite being one of the game’s more durable pitchers coming into the year, had entered 2018 on a meager $1MM deal, expecting to serve a lower-leverage role.

The deal is a blow for the Chicago front office, who had been a frontrunner in the market for Chavez, as even acknowledged by the righty himself when he told reporters “if I’m not wearing this [uniform] next year, I’m done” after the Cubs’ elimination from the postseason. As for the Rangers, the contract could serve an advantage at next year’s deadline when the team inevitably scours contenders for young pitching talent, though it’s unlikely Chavez himself would enjoy a thoroughly competitive two years should he remain in the Lone Star State.

Tigers Agree to Terms with Moore

Also reported by Passan among yesterday’s news, the Detroit Tigers and left-handed starter Matt Moore have come to an agreement on a one-year deal that, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive, is worth $2.5MM with an additional million in incentives.

At one point one of baseball’s more promising young arms in a Tampa Bay rotation that featured David Price, Chris Archer, and Alex Cobb, times have been much harder for the 29-year old since 2015. Between the Rays, San Francisco Giants, and most recently the Texas Rangers, Moore’s 5.23 ERA is the fourth-worst in baseball over the last four years, though a 3.7 fWAR may be one indication why teams looking for pitching depth have yet to throw in the towel.

Moore’s struggles last year in the Rangers’ rotation were pronounced, to say the least. In 12 starts at the beginning of the season, he stumbled over an 8.02 ERA, averaging 1.3 HR/9 and a tough 1.58 K/BB ratio over 55 innings before being sent to the bullpen. Moore’s 5.48 ERA from that point on, though not particularly impressive, was largely a result of the long-ball, as his more tolerable 8.8 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 3.68 SIERA, and .231 opponent average can confirm.

The Tigers are evidently hopeful that Moore can provide value out of the back of their current rotation of Michael Fulmer, Jordan Zimmermann, Daniel Norris, and Matthew Boyd, although pitching in Comerica Park – often considered a hitters’ dream – could very likely put a dent in this operation early. With a handful of pitching prospects such as Franklin Perez, Beau Burrows, and Matt Manning on the rise, Moore’s place in the rotation through an entire season shouldn’t be a guarantee.