In canvassing the free-agent market for starting pitchers, the Los Angeles Dodgers thus far have been connected to Andrew Heaney, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer and Steven Matz.
Of course, L.A. went on to sign Heaney to a one-year contract in a deal that adds needed depth to their rotation without preventing possible reunions with Kershaw or Scherzer. Their reported interest in Matz was believed to be in the similar light.
However, the market became relatively robust for the 30-year-old, with upwards of eight teams thought to be involved in the bidding.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Matz has elected to sign a four-year, $44 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals:
The St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a four-year, $44 million contract with free-agent left-hander Steven Matz, sources told The Athletic late Tuesday night. The deal, which is pending a physical, is worth up to $48 million with incentives.
Matz is coming off another quality season in which he went 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 29 starts for the Toronto Blue Jays. It was his first year playing for a team other than the New York Mets, who selected Matz in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft.
Matz has made at least 29 starts in each of the past three full seasons; he was 0-5 with a 9.68 ERA in nine games (six starts) last year. Matz additionally has pitched at least 150 innings in three of the past four seasons, with the lone exception coming in the shortened 2020 campaign.
Will Dodgers lose Scherzer to Cardinals?
Although L.A. is presumed to want to re-sign Scherzer, he and the St. Louis Cardinals reportedly share mutual interest on a homecoming.
Scherzer joining St. Louis would be a bit surprising considering agent Scott Boras recently indicated his client is prioritizing playing for a World Series contender over geography.
The Cardinals did reach the postseason this year, but needed to go on a historic winning stretch in order to qualify as the second team in the Wild Card Game.
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