The Philadelphia Phillies have signed Dylan Moore to a minor league contract, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic. By signing Moore, the Phillies have elected to open a door to another move.

Report: Phillies Sign Dylan Moore, Opening Door to Larger Move

Moore is a right-handed bat who has major league experience at every position except for catcher. He has primarily played middle infield and corner outfield positions. Moore has a .727 OPS and a 110 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers in his career and could compete for a platoon or bench role. For comparison, he has a .668 OPS and a 93 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers in his career. Moore had a .201/.267/.374 line with 11 home runs and 25 RBI in 106 games last season between the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. He also had an 83 wRC+ and a .256 BABIP last year.

Dylan Moore and the Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a minor league contract that includes an invitation to major league spring training, league sources said. He can make up to $3.25 million with plate appearance and active roster bonuses.

— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) January 30, 2026

Rotation Help Wanted

The Phillies could use some starting pitching depth with Zack Wheeler likely starting the season on the injured list. The veteran right-hander dealt with thoracic outlet syndrome near the end of the regular season last year. Matt Gelb of The Athletic told MLB Network on January 30 that Wheeler could be ready to play earlier than expected. Gelb characterized the timeline for Wheeler as “closer to April 1 than June 1.”

Andrew Painter is expected to be in the Phillies’ rotation this season. It is also anticipated that Taijuan Walker will be in the rotation until Wheeler returns. The Phillies will have bullpen spots up for grabs during spring training. Walker will likely move to the bullpen once Wheeler returns. What happens with the open bullpen spots at that point could get interesting. The Phillies have a Rule 5 Draft pick in Zach McCambley that could limit their flexibility.

A Potential Trade Partner

Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic recently reported that the Boston Red Sox have received trade interest in some of their starting pitchers and are looking for infielders. McCaffrey specifically mentioned Brayan Bello, Patrick Sandoval, and Jordan Hicks. This could be an opportunity for the Phillies to deal Alec Bohm to improve their starting pitching depth. Ranger Suárez‘s signing with Boston has given them a starting pitching surplus. Bohm has fallen out of favor with Phillies fans over his antics and poor play at times. There have been trade rumors surrounding Bohm the last few years during the offseason. If the Phillies are going to trade Bohm, now is the time to do it because he is a free agent after this season. To add to that, top infield prospect Aidan Miller is waiting in the wings.

A Potential Deal and Its Implications

A deal that might make sense for both teams is a Bohm-for-Sandoval one-for-one swap. The Phillies had reported interest in signing Sandoval during the 2024-25 offseason. He has not pitched since the 2024 season because of injury. Additionally, Sandoval is on an expiring contract and is owed $12.75 million. In his last year of team control, Bohm is slated to make $10.20 million this season. Trading Bohm opens up third base for Edmundo Sosa or Otto Kemp and maybe even Moore to start the season until Miller is ready. On the flip side, trading for Sandoval could allow the Phillies to move Walker, who is in the final year of a contract that has largely been a bust. The Phillies could add and rearrange pitching depth in the process of this.

 

Main Photo Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images