The St. Louis Cardinals are seeking to trade a veteran starting pitcher to reduce their payroll, while the San Francisco Giants are in need of experienced support for their relatively youthful rotation.
MLB Trade has connected the San Francisco Giants to veteran pitcher as potential suitors. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals are aiming to trade him to reduce their payroll.
Although the experienced player is slated to earn $12.5 million in 2025, which may seem substantial, it’s relatively modest by MLB standards. As a veteran in the final year of his contract, he’s unlikely to demand a significant return in a trade.
Matz signed a four-year, $44 million deal with the Cardinals in 2022 but has been only moderately effective. Over three seasons, he has a 10-12 record with a 4.47 ERA across 52 appearances (34 starts), accumulating 185 strikeouts and 57 walks in 197.1 innings.
In his three years with the Cardinals, Steven Matz has won fewer games than he did in his standout 2021 season with Toronto, where he went 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA, marking the best year of his career. He timed his free agency well that year.
Prior to joining the Cardinals, Matz spent six seasons with the New York Mets, posting a 31-41 record with a 4.35 ERA.
With St. Louis, Matz has faced struggles with both control and injuries. He hasn’t made more than 17 starts in a season (in 2023), and in 2024, he only managed 12 appearances, with seven starts, due to injuries.
MLB Trade Rumors highlights that Steven Matz’s performance is generally around the league average. When healthy, he is likely closer to the pitcher he was in 2018 with the New York Mets, when he posted an 11-10 record with a 3.97 ERA and pitched a career-high 160 innings.
With a young rotation led by Logan Webb, Kyle Harrison, and Hayden Birdsong, adding an innings-eater like Matz would be valuable, especially if young pitchers like Carson Whisenhunt or Mason Black aren’t ready for a full-time role next season.
MLBTR also points out Matz’s experience as a reliever with the Cardinals, where he logged 33.1 innings over three seasons with a solid 2.43 ERA—his best career mark in any season.
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