Angels Relieved After Moore Signs for 3 More Years

Angel relief pitcher Donnie Moore, who had a club-record 31 saves last season, has signed a multi-year contract with the team, it was announced at an Anaheim Stadium news conference Wednesday night.

The Angels had until 8:59 p.m. Wednesday to sign Moore, a free agent since his contract expired at the end of last season.

Moore’s new contract was for a three-year pact. No other terms of the agreement were disclosed.

“I really wanted to be an Angel again,” Moore said. “It’s really nice, I’m kinda speechless. There was always hope. We simply got together and both sides bent a little.”

Angel Vice President-General Manager Mike Port called Moore a “very important factor in our club” and said he was happy the two sides could finally come to terms.

“I’m delighted to have things finalized,” Port said. “Doing it any earlier would have been too easy. This way it made better drama.”

Had the Angels not signed Moore prior to the deadline, they would have been prohibited from signing him until May 1 because of a stipulation in the Basic Agreement between the owners and players involving free agents which was agreed upon last summer.

Moore, a right-hander who turns 32 next month, posted an 8-8 record with a 1.92 earned run average last season, his first with the Angels. He struck out 72 batters and walked 21 in 103 innings.

Moore came to the Angels in the now-defunct free agent compensation draft last winter. He had a 4-5 record with a 2.94 ERA and 16 saves for the Atlanta Braves in 1984.