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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox swing two deals before trade deadline, but miss out in Joe Ryan pursuit
The Red Sox swung two deals in advance of Thursday's trade deadline, acquiring two veteran pitchers on expiring contracts to bolster their staff. Efforts for a bigger move fell short. Boston acquired left-hander Steven Matz from the Cardinals for infielder Blaze Jordan overnight, then swung a deal with the Dodgers netting starter Dustin May for outfielder/first baseman James Tibbs III and outfielder Zach Ehrhard. Matz, who had been pitching in short stints for St. Louis, will join the bullpen but his starting experience makes him a candidate to be stretched out as a rotation candidate if the need arises later in the season. May will join Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito and ex-teammate Walker Buehler, replacing Richard Fitts as the No. 5 man in Boston's rotation. Boston made efforts to land bigger fish on the market but ultimately fell short. One was Minnesota All-Star Joe Ryan, who the Red Sox tried for — as multiple outlets reported — late on deadline day. While it seems Boston felt like it had a chance to provide a major rotation boost and land Ryan in the 11th hour, Twins decision-makers felt like their asking price was 'not even close' to being met, according to a major league source with knowledge of the discussions. It's unclear what the Red Sox' best and final offer was. Ryan, who has two years of control remaining, remained with the Twins and was not dealt. The conversations had in recent weeks could lay the groundwork for an offseason trade much like initial conversations with the White Sox last summer informed the Red Sox on a path to eventually acquire Garrett Crochet in December. Many other players linked to the Red Sox changed teams, including rental starters Merrill Kelly (traded from Arizona to Texas), Charlie Morton (Baltimore to Detroit), Shane Bieber (Cleveland to Toronto) and Adrian Houser (White Sox to Rays) and position players like Eugenio Suarez (Arizona to Seattle). Other players who intrigued the Red Sox stayed put, including Arizona's Zac Gallen and Tampa Bay's Yandy Díaz. Matz and May are both free agents after the year who the Red Sox will pay for the rest of the season. Matz is earning $12 million in the final year of a four-year, $44 million contract this season and will be due about $4 million the rest of the way. May, who agreed to a $2.135 million deal to avoid arbitration with Los Angeles last winter, will earn around $700,000 for the rest of the year. Estimates have the Red Sox' collective bargaining tax (CBT) projection around $252 million, which is north of the tax threshold of $241 million. To acquire Matz and May, Boston gave up three prospects. Jordan is a former high-bonus draftee ($1.75 million in 2020) who was at Triple-A but blocked from a meaningful role in the majors. Tibbs was flipped just six weeks after the Red Sox acquired him as one of four players in the package they netted from San Francisco in the Rafael Devers blockbuster. Ehrhard was a fourth-round pick out of Oklahoma State last year and had been promoted to Double-A Portland after a strong 31-game stretch at High-A Greenville. More Red Sox coverage Red Sox trade deadline another full throttle disappointment Red Sox spent 'pretty significant time trying to add a bat' at trade deadline How Red Sox will use trade additions Dustin May, Steven Matz; 'Bona fide starter' Red Sox needed bold strokes at deadline, but instead got half measures | Sean McAdam Craig Breslow explains why 'uncomfortably aggressive' Red Sox didn't add impact players at trade deadline Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘Epic fail.' How experts graded Boston Red Sox at MLB trade deadline
The Boston Red Sox talked a big game when it came to their approach to the 2025 MLB trade deadline. They didn't back it up. Now, they're being raked over the coals nationally. The Red Sox made a pair of mid-level moves at the deadline, acquiring pitchers Dustin May and Steven Metz. However, the consensus among experts across baseball is that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow didn't do enough to improve his team just as it was peaking. How bad was the criticism? Here's a roundup of reaction and grades after the deadline: Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic 'Epic fail. Comes off an epic fail at last year's deadline with Craig Breslow and this was an epic fail as well. ... The Red Sox are one of many teams that uses modeling and tries to figure out what the best values are, and it's all about efficiency and getting the best deal and this and that and the other thing. As some point, you've gotta fire.' David Schoenfield, ESPN | Grade: Loser The Red Sox added pitchers Dustin May and Steven Matz. Meh. May had a 4.85 ERA while starting for the Dodgers. Matz had a 3.44 ERA pitching in relief for the St. Louis Cardinals. Both have some utility -- May gives them a rotation option, and Matz has been a multi-inning reliever -- but don't really alter Boston's playoff odds, especially factoring in the moves the Yankees and Blue Jays made, or even the Tampa Bay Rays adding a couple of higher-impact pitchers in Adrian Houser and Griffin Jax." Andy McCullough, The Athletic | Grade: Snoozer 'The Red Sox added some reinforcements to their pitching staff in the form of Steven Matz and Dustin May. And that was about it for a club that has surged back into the thick of the American League East. Matz has made himself useful in his first season as a reliever. Is May good enough to start a postseason game for Boston? He was unlikely to crack the October rotation for the Dodgers, which made him expendable for the defending champs. It was an underwhelming week for a club that has built momentum on the field.' Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY | Grade: Loser 'Hey, weren't the Red Sox supposed to do something? They promised. They were going to make this team a legitimate contender. Instead, the trade deadline came and went, and all they did was acquire struggling Dodgers starter Dustin May and swingman Steven Matz from the St. Louis Cardinals. It wasn't nearly enough.' Jake Mintz, Yahoo Sports | Grade: F 'Their sleepy, lethargic deadline that failed to seriously address any of the flaws on the roster was a borderline insult to a fan base already fed up with Breslow's robotic, bizarre and uninspiring style. Matz is fine; he'll help the 'pen. May is fine; he'll add rotation depth.' Lou Merloni, NESN (onWEEI) 'People just want action. Like, people want a player. I gotta be honest with you. I don't care about prospects. ... I throw up in my mouth when I hear people talk, upset about Blaze Jordan leaving. How many rookies do you want up here?' More Red Sox coverage Why Red Sox talks with Twins fell apart for Joe Ryan (report) Red Sox announce Friday starter, plus when Dustin May will make club debut Red Sox CBO understands fans frustrations over deadline, still confident in team Dodgers media reacts to 'beloved' pitcher being traded to Red Sox MLB Notebook: AL winners and losers at deadline; Alex Bregman's reunion; Red Sox' payroll monitoring Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox make first trade before deadline, acquire veteran lefty who can start or relieve
MINNEAPOLIS — The Red Sox have made their first addition ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. Boston has bolstered its pitching staff by agreeing to a deal to acquire veteran left-hander Steven Matz from the Cardinals, a source confirmed late Wednesday night. The Red Sox are sending minor league infielder Blaze Jordan to St. Louis in the deal. No cash is changing hands. An announcement is pending. The Red Sox will need to clear a 40-man spot to add Matz — and can simply transfer injured right-hander Hunter Dobbins to the 60-day injured list, if they so choose. Matz, 34, has primarily pitched out of St. Louis' bullpen this season but has plenty of rotation experience over an 11-year career. The ex-Met has logged 55 innings for the Cardinals this season, posting a 3.44 ERA (and 2.88 FIP) while striking out 47 batters (and walking just nine) in 32 appearances (two starts). He appears ticketed for Boston's bullpen after appearing in short stints for the Cards in July but his starting ability likely made him even more attractive to the Red Sox, who could stretch him out late in the season if a need arises. Matz opened the season as the long man in the Cardinals' bullpen due to the club's logjam of rotation options but made two April starts as part of a six-man rotation (on April 16 and April 30). He returned to the bullpen and, overall, logged a 1.91 ERA through May, before struggling in June when he pitched to a 7.30 ERA in a 12 ⅓ frames. July brought better results as Matz pitched in more high-leverage situations; he did allow two runs and three hits in an inning in his last outing Tuesday. Matz has been tough on left-handed hitters this season, holding them to a .179 average and .442 OPS. Righties, however, have hit 313 off him with an OPS of .814. Those splits are similar to lefty specialist Justin Wilson, who has had a good season in Boston's bullpen. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is known to be looking help in both his rotation and bullpen ahead of Thursday's 6 p.m. ET deadline and for now, Matz will add another experienced arm ahead of closer Aroldis Chapman. Boston has been carrying four lefties — Chapman, Wilson, Brennan Bernardino and Chris Murphy — in recent weeks but Matz will likely take the place of one of them (potentially Bernardino, who has already pitched 47 times this season) when he arrives. The Sox' search for rotation additions to put behind Garrett Crochet, Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello and Walker Buehler continues with targets like Arizona's Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, Baltimore's Charlie Morton and controllable options like Miami's Sandy Alcantara and Minnesota's Joe Ryan remaining on the board in a slow-moving market. Matz hasn't thrown more than 24 pitches since the All-Star break, so he's not stretched out enough to replace Richard Fitts in the No. 5 spot now. Matz is in the final year of the four-year, $44 million contract he signed with the Cardinals in November 2021. Back then, the Red Sox made a serious push to sign the former Rookie of the Year candidate who hit free agency after a strong season in Toronto. Matz's 2025 salary is $12 million, so the Red Sox will be on the hook for about $4 million in the season's final two months with no cash changing hands in the deal. Jordan, a former high-profile prospect given a $1.75 million bonus to forego college as a third round pick (89th overall) in 2020, was often mentioned as a trade candidate in recent years as other position players in the organization passed him. The corner infielder posted a .928 OPS in 87 games at Double-A Portland this season before receiving a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in early June. With the WooSox, Jordan had hit .289 with six homers, 24 RBIs and an .809 OPS in 43 games. Chaim Bloom was in charge of the Red Sox when they handed Jordan, a former YouTube sensation known as a home run-hitting prodigy, an above-slot bonus after taking Nick Yorke in the first round in the abbreviated 2020 draft. Now, five years later, as Bloom prepares to take over as St. Louis' president of baseball operations in place of John Mozeliak after the season, he is reunited with the Mississippi native. In its most recent rankings, SoxProspects had Jordan ranked as the No. 19 prospect in Boston's system. He was Rule 5-eligible this winter, so the Red Sox got out ahead of a potential roster crunch by moving him now. More Red Sox coverage What we're hearing at the MLB trade deadline; all the moves, Red Sox rumors Red Sox starter says having two young kids has cured day game woes: 'It's the reality of it' Why Shohei Ohtani left Dodgers game mid at-bat with trainer MLB trade rumors: NL contender acquires potential Red Sox trade target Red Sox players have done their part; now, it's time for front office to do theirs | Sean McAdam Read the original article on MassLive.
New York Post
31-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Red Sox land ex-Met Steven Matz as AL East race tightens
The Red Sox made their first trade ahead of Thursday's MLB trade deadline, landing southpaw Steven Matz from the Cardinals in a deal St. Louis announced early Thursday morning. The Cardinals received infielder Blaze Jordan, Boston's No. 17 prospect, according to prospect rankings. Advertisement Matz, 34, is in his 11th season in the majors and is now in a bullpen role after serving as a starter for most of his career. He's tallied 172 career starts with the Mets, Blue Jays and Cardinals, but has just two this season while appearing 30 times in relief. Matz is 5-2 with an ERA of 3.44 and a 1.18 WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) this season spanning 55 innings, while he's posted a 3.91 ERA and held batters to a .711 OPS as a reliever. 3 Left-handed reliever Steven Matz. Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Advertisement He is in the final year of the four-year contract he signed with St. Louis. To land Matz the Red Sox parted ways with a talented corner infield prospect in Jordan, who has ties to the Cardinals' front office. 3 Former chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom Getty Images Advertisement 3 Alex Cora has a new bullpen piece to employ. Getty Images The 22-year-old touts a solid slash line of .298/.342/.480 in Triple-A, and owns a cumulative .872 OPS with 12 homers and 62 RBIs including his time in Double-A. Cardinals pending president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, who will take over following the 2025 season, selected Jordan in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft while he served as Boston's top baseball executive from 2019-23 before being dismissed. Advertisement The Red Sox (59-51) fortified their bullpen in their attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021. They own the second wild card spot and sit in third in the AL East. Boston could still use a starting pitcher and first baseman to bolster an intriguing roster.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pair of Cardinals veteran relievers listed as trade candidates
The St. Louis Cardinals are going to have some difficult decisions to make at the trade deadline. They have plenty of pieces that could be trade candidates, but they are in contention. The Cardinals are three games back of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central and in control of the third Wild Card spot. Advertisement They could potentially buy, hold, or mix buying and selling together. They could even remain in contention if they did this, similarly to the Detroit Tigers last year. Katie Woo of The Athletic notes that relievers Phil Maton and Steven Matz are trade candidates. "Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz, Erick Fedde, Phil Maton and Miles Mikolas are in the final years of their contracts. If St. Louis intends to add via subtraction like Detroit, offloading impending free agents is a sensible place to start," Woo wrote. "Matz and Maton will generate considerable interest as high-leverage relievers, and the value of bullpen arms tends to peak around the deadline." Advertisement Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp Maton is 1-2 with a 1.69 ERA in 33 appearances with St. Louis and has also recorded two saves. Matz has made 22 relief appearances and two starts. He is 4-2 with a 3.38 ERA. The Cardinals could potentially take the path the Tigers took last year, opening up playing time for younger players, and thus strengthening the team for the present and future. If 2024 was any indication, teams will be willing to pay a hefty price for rental relievers that may even include a top prospect or two. Matz and Maton have both performed well enough to land solid returns from teams in contention if the Cardinals decide they want to sell at all at the deadline. They'll be an interesting team to watch in terms of how they operate in the coming weeks. More MLB: St. Louis Cardinals named as bubble team as deadline approaches
