The St. Louis Cardinals got the sale started on Wednesday, trading closer Ryan Helsley to the Mets earlier in the day. Now they’ve continued to sell off pieces from the bullpen, trading Steven Matz to the Boston Red Sox.
Matz, 34, has appeared in 30 games for St. Louis this season as a reliever and in two games as a starter. He came up as a starter with the Mets, but began to work more out of the bullpen with the Cardinals, finding a new lease on his career. The left-hander has pitched to a 3.44 ERA, his lowest mark since 2016.
He’s ditched his fastball entirely and found success. Matz throws a sinker 59% of the time, supplemented by a good curveball and changeup. He has one of the lowest walk rates in the majors and an 88th percentile barrel rate. Matz’s expected ERA of 3.09 is an 82nd percentile mark. If you don’t issue free passes and keep balls away from barrels, you’ll find success. His ability to face batters on both sides of the plate, work multiple innings, and start if needed brings an important degree of versatility to the Red Sox pitching staff.
Matz is in the final year of a four-year, $44 million deal. He’s earning $12.5 million this season. With the Red Sox looking to make a playoff push, Matz is a great rental buy.
Corner infield prospect Blaze Jordan is heading back to the Cardinals. The 22-year-old was promoted to Triple-A this year, and has hit the ball well at all levels. He’s not known for his defense or baserunning, but has huge raw power and a great hit tool. If he continues to rake in the Cardinals’ system, he could be a DH or first base option with the major league club sooner rather than later.
