ST. LOUIS -- Sensing that his time with the Cardinals would almost certainly be ending before Thursday’s MLB Trade Deadline, Steven Matz decided against flying with the team to San Diego on Wednesday night and instead booked himself a commercial flight on Thursday.
Instead of flying to the West Coast, Matz is headed to Boston after the Red Sox swung a deal to acquire him late Wednesday.
TRADE DETAILS
Cardinals receive: 1B Blaze Jordan
Red Sox receive: LHP Steven Matz
A Cards club that traded two-time All-Star closer Ryan Helsley to the Mets for three Minor League players earlier on Wednesday, then dealt the 34-year-old Matz to Boston for Minor League first baseman Blaze Jordan. Chaim Bloom, who is taking over the Cardinals President of Baseball Operations job in 2025, was running the Red Sox front office when Jordan was selected in the 2020 MLB Draft.
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In the final season of a four-year, $44 million free-agent deal signed before the 2022 season, Matz proved himself to be one of the Cardinals' most valuable pitchers this season with his versatility. Working as a long reliever, a left-handed specialist and as a spot starter, Matz was 5-2 with a 3.44 ERA in 32 appearances. Long a starter in his MLB career, Matz was brilliant in his two starts this season, going 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA and 11 strikeouts in nine innings.
“I think ultimately, in my mind, I still would like to start some games in big leagues," Matz said. "That’s definitely a goal. I feel like I can still do that. I’m happy to do what they need me to do here in those roles. But I think knowing that I can do both now is definitely something, to be able to go back-to-backs and go multiple innings out of the bullpen ... but I think ultimately starting is really kind of where my heart is.”
One reason for Matz’s improvement in 2025 has been his ability to stay healthy. He was bothered by elbow and knee problems in 2022, when he was limited to 15 games -- 10 as a starter. ERAs of 3.86 and 5.08 in 2024 and 2025 cost Matz his role as a starter and led to him learning how to attack hitters more out of relief roles.
“His ability to stay healthy and then show what he’s capable of doing regardless of the role that he’s been placed in," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. "He bounced back and forth. He’s done some spot starts and gone to the bullpen and thrown multiple [innings]. He’s been a one-inning guy, two-inning. He’s done everything we’ve asked, and he’s handled every bit of it extremely well.”
This season, he pitched exceptionally well early (2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in April and 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in May). Unlike in years past, when injuries also hampered him, Matz was able to get his season back on track in July (1-0 with a 3.72 ERA) following a rocky June (1-1 with a 7.30 ERA).