Phillies claim pitcher Scott Moss off waivers from Cleveland

The Phillies remained busy Wednesday on the waiver wire as they claimed Scott Moss from Cleveland, making him the third left-handed pitcher plucked this month off waivers.

Moss, 27, has not yet reached the majors. He made 11 starts with Cleveland’s triple-A affiliate after being acquired in 2019 from Cincinnati as part of the trade that sent Trevor Bauer to the Reds. The Guardians removed Moss last week from their 40-man roster after he posted a 7.08 ERA last season in nine triple-A appearances.

The Phillies have yet to make a significant move but they are filling the fringes of their 40-man roster before the looming expiration of the collective bargaining agreement brings an expected transaction freeze next week.

Earlier this month, they claimed reliever Ryan Sherriff from Tampa Bay and reliever Kent Emmanuel from Houston. They made minor trades last week for two potential backup catchers — Donny Sands and Garret Stubbs — and added reliever Nick Nelson from the Yankees.

Moss, who was added to the 40-man roster and can be optioned to the minors, can provide rotation depth at triple A if the Phillies continue to use him as a starting pitcher. He started last season on Cleveland’s big-league radar but was slowed in spring training by a neck injury and spent time on the triple-A injured list with a strained shoulder. His fastball sits in the low 90s and he struck out 12.8 batters per nine innings last season but also walked 6.6 batters per nine as he nearly doubled his walk-rate from 2019.