No more Matz for Mets

The New York Mets have traded left handed pitcher Steve Matz to the Toronto Blue Jays for three players, per multiple reports.

Matz, slated to make $5.2 million this year in his final season of arbitration, was a second round pick of the Mets all the way back in 2009 — he went ten picks after the Rangers selected the legendary Tommy Mendonca. Matz has been impressive at times but also struggled to stay healthy, and he had a disastrous 2020 campaign, putting up a 9.68 ERA in 30.2 IP while allowing a whopping 14 home runs.

With Matz now joining the Jays rotation, the Mets would seem to have an opening in their rotation, and there’s talk that Trevor Bauer could now be in their sights (assuming Steve Cohen doesn’t end up being brought down by the ongoing GameStop short selling saga).

The Mets don’t really get much in return in this deal. The lead name is Sean Reid-Foley, a 25 year old righthander whose name you may recall as being the chalk pick in 2014 when the Rangers selected Luis Ortiz. He has a 4.40 ERA in 77.2 IP in the majors.

The Mets are also getting pitching prospects Yennsy Diaz and Josh Winckowski, who are prospects of the fringey variety, from what I can tell.