Pitching a golden opportunity, Cardinals outbid multiple suitors to woo lefty Matz and ruin Mets own

With the right increase in money and years and the added securities that come only from gold, the Cardinals outbid multiple suitors to land a coveted starter and, in an unexpected, competitive perk, help irk a billionaire owner out east.

The Cardinals and lefty Steven Matz agreed to a four-year, $44-million contract late Tuesday night, multiple sources with knowledge of the contract confirmed to the Post-Dispatch. The deal will be finalized after Thanksgiving pending a physical scheduled for this weekend. Matz, 30, chose the Cardinals ahead of offers from his first team, the Mets, and his most recent team, Toronto, as well as at least three other clubs. The Cardinals sweetened their appeal with the fourth year on the contract.

No other free-agent starter threw a higher percentage of sinkers in 2021 and Matz appealed to the Cardinals because of his willingness to utilize the defense behind him and the record five Gold Glove Award winners the Cardinals will have returning.

Matz was drawn by that pitch to him, conversations over Zoom with team officials, and the clubhouse culture he learned about, a source close to the lefty described.

https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/pitching-a-golden-opportunity-cardinals-outbid-multiple-suitors-to-woo-lefty-matz-and-ruin-mets/article_9d915eed-4679-58a1-8d90-dbbd3fc67d02.html#tracking-source=home-trending