Steven Matz is available via trade

[specialiststeve]

The St. Louis Cardinals have made teams interested in adding starting pitching this offseason aware that left-hander Steven Matz is available via trade, according to sources.

Would seem to make some sense.

Maybe a Matz and Carlson for Polanco and Vazquez? Know they had issues last year with their cat catching... Polanco would also make some sense for them I believe. 

 

 

[tony&rodney]

Matz is hopeful to fill in the back of a rotation. Ober, Paddack, and Varland are better right now. Matz is an interesting gamble if he wasn't going to make more than $2-5M, but he doesn't work with his salary. The Twins would be nuts to trade for Polanco for a relatively insignificant return. Polanco should lead the Twins into 2024 if he isn't part of a major trade that make the team better.

[Dman]

If the Twins didn't want Maeda for that kind of money it seems hard to believe they would trade for a guy with fairly similar results at about the same AAV and throw in trade pieces as well.  Still he is a lefty with solid results so who knows.  Probably would cost Festa or Raya as I would think the reason the Cards are willing to trade him is for some salary relief after the Gray signing and to rebuild the prospect pool.

I think I would rather keep Raya and Festa as they could be mid to top of the rotation arms with lot's of years of control if things work out.  It doesn't feel like a likely match to me.

[tony&rodney]

12 minutes ago, Dman said:

Probably would cost Festa or Raya

Festa and Raya are a year or two behind what Seattle got from Bryce Miller and Woo this past year. With starting pitching so costly, trading Festa or/and Raya would be crazy unless it was part of a deal that returned George Kirby. I guess we keep our eyes open but don't look at BTV for what the Twins need in return for Festa and Raya. I'm agreeing with you not to trade these guys, especially for Matz. There is no Matz. It's just a glance to see what is out there.

[Eris]

One of the challenges with Steven Matz is that he has not put together 2 good seasons in a row. 

[Linus]

37 minutes ago, Dman said:

If the Twins didn't want Maeda for that kind of money it seems hard to believe they would trade for a guy with fairly similar results at about the same AAV and throw in trade pieces as well.  Still he is a lefty with solid results so who knows.  Probably would cost Festa or Raya as I would think the reason the Cards are willing to trade him is for some salary relief after the Gray signing and to rebuild the prospect pool.

I think I would rather keep Raya and Festa as they could be mid to top of the rotation arms with lot's of years of control if things work out.  It doesn't feel like a likely match to me.

This. If you are going to expend valuable trade assets get a difference maker. 

[DJL44]

I'm not ready to make that waiver claim this early in the offseason. Matz is a fit for a bad team who needs someone to eat innings with the hope of flipping them at the trade deadline.

[CRF]

I'd pass on Matz. We've got better options in house than him. If you're going to make a deal for a pitcher, go better than Matz. 

[cmoss84]

Matz for Christian Vasquez sounds great! 

[Doctor Wu]

On 11/28/2023 at 4:31 AM, Eris said:

One of the challenges with Steven Matz is that he has not put together 2 good seasons in a row. 

I really liked Matz when he was with the Mets, and thought he would end up being a star player, but as you noted with his up and down seasons, that hasn't happened. Still, if it didn't cost us much, I wouldn't mind the Twins getting him. 

[DJL44]

If Matz was on the Twins payroll Falvey would be looking to trade him to free up that money.