Lake Tahoe, NV – Jamie Moyer, the 49-year-old former All-Star who became the oldest pitcher to win a game in Major League Baseball history earlier this season, is not ready to hang up the cleats just yet.
Moyer was recently released by the Toronto Blue Jays' Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s, after compiling a 1-1 record with an 8.18 ERA. He allowed 17 hits, including three home runs, in 11 innings.
During a press conference at the American Century Championship, Moyer, the only MLB pitcher to throw a shutout in four different decades said: "I'm not retired. I'm not retired. I'm just kind of laying in the weeds and just trying to figure out what's going on."
While he waits for a call, Moyer is playing alongside other MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL Hall of Famers and All-Stars in the American Century Championship. The tournament, held at the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, runs July 20 through July 22.
"I think I'm going to try to continue to assess what's going on here," Moyer said. "Try to take a step back after the season is over or toward the end of the season and assess what's going on, see how I feel, and make some decisions from there."
The goal is not 300 wins (Moyer is at 269), it's about contributing.
"Winning games and contributing, I think, has always been my goal on a team," the crafty left-hander said. "I've always enjoyed that. And that's what I strive to do every time I go out to pitch."
Moyer, who missed the entire 2011 season due to Tommy John surgery, signed with the Colorado Rockies and made the club after an impressive showing during spring training. He recorded a 2-5 mark and 5.70 ERA in 10 starts before being designated for assignment.
The Baltimore Orioles and Blue Jays both gave Moyer a look at Triple-A before the veteran requested his release.
"I had a great opportunity in Norfolk (Baltimore's Triple-A team)," said Moyer. "I really thought I threw the ball quite well in Norfolk, and it was a situation in both Norfolk and the 51s, it was a situation where we'll bring you in for a couple of starts.
"If we need help, we'll call you up. If we don't need help, you can make a decision. You can either stay here and pitch in Triple-A, which was not my goal to pitch in Triple-A at 49 for the rest of the summer, or go home and try and find something else."
One way back to the big leagues may be morphing into a reliever or lefty specialist for the long-time starter but Moyer hesitated at that thought.
"I'm surely not a specialist," Moyer said. "I'm not a closer. I'm not a setup guy. It's either a long guy or a starter. What I've done most of my career is start. So if I have any value left, I think that's where it might be."
Moyer thinks the New York Mets might be a fit or his former club, the Philadelphia Phillies, but that is not necessarily a two-way street.
"We've talked to the Mets over the winter," said Moyer. "Talked to the Mets at times during the season. They just don't seem to have any interest at this point in time.
"And the Phillies, when I was in my stint between Norfolk and the 51s, I happened to go through Philadelphia with our foundation and ran into (GM) Ruben [Amaro]. He knew the whole situation. And I don't think they really seemed to have a great deal of interest as well."
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.