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Giants trade Moore to Rangers

Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

The San Francisco Giants cleared some payroll space Friday night, trading left-hander Matt Moore and $750,000 in international bonus pool money to the Texas Rangers for a pair of minor-league pitchers, the team announced.

“This move allows us to reallocate our resources to address our position player needs," Giants general manager Bobby Evans told Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. "In addition, we are pleased to add two power arms to our system. Our focus remains to strengthen our outfield defense and our everyday lineup.”

Moore, a one-time All-Star, struggled mightily last season, managing a career-worst 5.52 ERA with a 1.53 WHIP over 31 starts and one relief appearance. Since undergoing Tommy John surgery nearly four years ago, Moore hasn't been all that effective, posting a 4.85 ERA (84 ERA+) and 1.42 WHIP over 435 2/3 innings since the start of the 2015 campaign. He'll earn $9 million this season, and has a $10-million team option for the 2019 campaign that comes with a $750,000 buyout.

Moore, who turns 29 in June, will be one of several new arms in the Rangers' rotation next year, as the club also signed right-hander Doug Fister and left-hander Mike Minor earlier this offseason to complement holdovers Cole Hamels and Martin Perez.

Heading back to the Giants are right-handers Sam Wolff, 26, and Israel Cruz, 20. Wolff, a sixth-round pick in 2013, spent last year with the Rangers' affiliates in the Double-A Texas League and Triple-A Pacific Coast League, crafting a 2.93 ERA with 31.4 percent strikeout rate over 40 relief appearances before a flexor tendon injury ended his season in August. Cruz, who signed with Texas as an international free agent in 2014, posted a 5.91 ERA and 1.63 WHIP over three starts and nine relief appearances in the Rookie-level Arizona League in 2017.

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