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Blue Jays: Last offseason interests and how they are doing so far this year

By Tyson Shushkewich

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 23: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers drives in a run with a double in the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on May 23, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 23: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Los Angeles Dodgers drives in a run with a double in the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on May 23, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /
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Blue Jays
PITTSBURGH, PA – MAY 22: Steven Matz #32 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch in the first inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 22, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

Steven Matz

Signed a four-year $44 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals

Acquired during the 2020/2021 offseason, Steven Matz bounced back from a rocky 2020 season that saw him pitch to career lows during the condensed campaign. The Jays would send a package of prospects to the New York Mets for Matz and the southpaw lasted one year with the Blue Jays, spinning a 3.82 ERA through 29 starts while posting a 1.334 WHIP, 8.6 K/9, and a 2.6 BB/9 while filling out the back end of the rotation.

The biggest question with the Blue Jays and Matz would be whether the club would extend him a qualifying offer, valued at $18.4 million for this season. The club decided to not extend him a QO but instead tried to extend him to a multi-year deal, with Matz rejecting the offer and turning towards free agency. The Mets were also in the hunt for his services but eventually, the St. Louis Cardinals won the battle, signing the New York product to a four-year, $44 million contract.

So far this season, Matz has struggled on the mound, pitching to a 6.03 ERA through nine starts. He has offered some really solid outings but has also been tagged for quite a few runs when he is off, like the seven-earned run affair during his first start of the season against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Matz owns a 10.6 H/9 and has allowed 25 earned runs through 37.1 innings of work this season.

While the Blue Jays were in town to face the Cardinals earlier this week, Matz started Sunday’s game against the Pirates but left in the first inning after throwing just four pitches and was placed on the IL with a shoulder injury shortly after.

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