With righthanded stalwarts Jack Flaherty and Adam Wainwright atop their projected 2022 starting rotation , the St. Louis Cardinals went out and reeled in one of the more coveted southpaws on the free-agency market late Tuesday night.
According to multiple reports, the Cardinals and left-handed starting pitcher Steven Matz have agreed on a four-year, $44 million contract.
Deal is pending physical. First: @JeffPassan. https://t.co/iAlXczzT4D
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 24, 2021
Matz is coming off of arguably his best season , as he posted a career-high 14 wins against seven losses, adding a 3.82 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in his lone year with the Toronto Blue Jays. The 30-year-old struck out 144 batters across 150.7 innings pitched in 29 games as well.
The lefty was selected by the New York Mets in the second round of the 2009 MLB June Amateur draft and spent the first six seasons of his career in Queens. Matz has a career record of 45-48 with a 4.24 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, and he has struck out 696 batters over 730.3 innings pitched.
Matz had reportedly received interest from multiple other teams before choosing to sign with the Cardinals. According to MLB Network's Jon Morosi, Toronto had offered Matz a three-year deal before the hurler agreed to the contract with St. Louis.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!