In a surprising turn of events during the late July trade deadline frenzy, the Cincinnati Reds have reportedly outpaced the Boston Red Sox to acquire left-handed reliever from the St. Louis Cardinals. Though the Red Sox were in active pursuit of the veteran pitcher to bolster their bullpen, the Reds submitted a more attractive trade package, ultimately winning the bidding war for Matz’s services.
Steven Matz, 34, is in the final year of a four-year, $44 million contract he signed with the Cardinals in late 2021. Initially brought on as a starting pitcher following promising performances with the Mets and Blue Jays, Matz struggled to find consistent success in the rotation for St. Louis. However, the Cardinals have repurposed him effectively this season, utilizing him as a long-relief option where he has posted solid numbers — a 5-2 record with a 3.44 ERA across 55 innings, striking out 48 and issuing just nine walks over 32 appearances (including two starts).
Despite the Red Sox’s bullpen already featuring several left-handed pitchers such as Aroldis Chapman, Justin Wilson, Chris Murphy, and Brennan Bernardino, they saw Matz as a valuable addition to reinforce their late-inning pitching. Wilson’s recent struggles, with a 4.50 ERA over his last nine appearances, further underscored Boston’s need for dependable southpaw relief.
The Red Sox reportedly offered their promising first base prospect Blaze Jordan in the trade talks. Jordan, 22, has been putting together the best season of his young career, splitting time between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. He boasts a .308 batting average with 12 home runs and 62 RBIs, marking him as one of Boston’s top prospects. However, despite his strong minor league numbers, Jordan has yet to earn a call-up to the major league club, even in light of Triston Casas’s season-ending injury in May. The Red Sox appear poised to continue the season with a platoon of Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro at first base unless they add another infielder before Thursday’s trade deadline.
Ultimately, the Cardinals favored the Reds’ trade proposal over Boston’s offer, tipping the scales in Cincinnati’s favor. By acquiring Matz, the Reds add a valuable veteran lefty to their bullpen depth chart, a move that could prove crucial in the stretch run of the 2025 season.
For the Red Sox, missing out on Matz means the team will need to explore alternative options to strengthen their bullpen, especially given their current challenges with left-handed relief pitching. The trade deadline continues to bring surprises, and Boston’s front office may still be active in seeking upgrades before Thursday’s 6 p.m. Eastern deadline.
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