Rays Veteran Free Agent Signing Discusses Why He Chose Team This Offseason
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The Tampa Bay Rays have made some major changes to their roster this offseason via free agent signings and trades.
After weeks of speculation, the Rays traded All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-team deal that also included the Houston Astros. The more surprising transaction was starting pitcher Shane Baz to their American League East rivals, the Baltimore Orioles.
Depth in the rotation was an underrated need for the Rays coming into the offseason. Their only Major League free agent at the onset was Adrian Houser, a reliable backend starter who can effectively eat innings.
Tampa Bay was connected to him before he signed a deal with the San Francisco Giants, along with reunions with Zack Littell and Zach Eflin.
Steven Matz discusses decision to sign with Rays
Thus far, the only addition to the Big League pitching staff that the team has made is Steven Matz. The two sides officially agreed to a two-year, $15 million deal, which resulted in outfielder Tristan Peters being designated for assignment and eventually traded to the Chicago White Sox.
Recently, he made an appearance on MLB Network and shared his reasoning for joining the Rays, a franchise not normally very aggressive when it comes to adding veteran talent in free agency.
"I have admired the organization from afar, the way they do things…” Matz said when talking to Harold Reynolds and Matt Vasgersian about why he chose Tampa Bay out of the group of teams that were pursuing him.
"I have admired the organization from afar, the way they do things..."
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 19, 2025
Steven Matz joins #MLBNHotStove and speaks on his decision to join the @RaysBaseball on a 2-year deal. pic.twitter.com/JtYdHYIjhJ
He will be tasked with replacing, at the very least, Houser’s role at the back end of the rotation. For now, the Rays are planning on converting him back to a starting pitcher full-time after being a reliever for parts of the last four seasons.
The last time Matz was a full-time starter, in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays, he performed very well. He made 29 starts, finishing with a 14-7 record while throwing 150.2 innings with a 3.82 ERA and 144 strikeouts.
A 2.2 bWAR was produced that season. In the four campaigns since, he had only 2.4 bWAR, struggling at times with his role constantly changing. However, his 4.07 ERA and 3.86 FIP were still respectable numbers.
If Matz is able to return to the level he showcased a few years ago with the Blue Jays, Tampa Bay is getting a great backend of the rotation arm. He got more out of his fastball in 2025 than previously in his career, a trend that will be interesting to see if it continues.
The Rays have done a great job helping pitchers elevate their performance on the mound in recent years. Matz could certainly be another player to benefit from their coaching staff’s work.
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Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. Previously, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.