Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals $44 Million Hurler Has Turned Heads For St. Louis

The Cardinals clearly look like they made the right decision...
Patrick McAvoy|
Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

There hasn’t been a team more talked about this season than the St. Louis Cardinals when it comes to hypothetical trade situations.

The Cardinals have been no stranger to speculation. It picked up during the offseason when the front office made it clear they wanted to “reset” the franchise. The Cardinals didn’t make any big moves to the surprise of many. For some players, this seems like the right idea. For others, that might not be the case.

FanSided’s Josh Jacobs made a list of three players whose trade value has increased and two whose value has fallen on the trade market. Veteran hurler Steven Matz is someone who has increased his value, per Jacobs.

"But second, Matz's value was basically at an all-time low, so it wouldn't hurt to see if he can build any of that back during the 2025 season to become a real trade candidate," Jacobs said. "So far, Matz has done just that, thriving in a swingman role for the Cardinals' pitching staff that has seen him make seven relief appearances and two starts to begin the 2025 season. Across his 24 innings of work, Matz has posted a 1.50 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, striking out 20 batters and notching two wins and one save already.

"Again, we aren't talking about some crazy valuable player here, but everyone wants pitching, and when the trade deadline comes around, Matz will be a name that teams are calling the Cardinals about. Ever since the addition of the third Wild Card, the list of "sellers" at deadlines has shrunk dramatically and the list of buyers has grown, so there will be a hot market to add additional pitching, whether that's bullpen arms or rotation pieces, and Matz could fit either for a club. Matz doesn't need to sport a sub-2.00 ERA to maintain that kind of value, but man, it sure helps."

He’s in the final year of a four-year, $44 million deal and currently has a 1.50 ERA in nine overall appearances this season, including two starts. He has a 20-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 24 innings pitched as well.

More MLB: Cardinals Expected to Find Blockbuster Trade Partner More Easily

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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