Will the Blue Jays Regret Not Re-Signing Steven Matz?

Left-hander Steven Matz is a pitcher that I thought would shine big time in the Major Leagues. When he debuted in 2015 with the Mets, I thought he would be great for years to come. However, inconsistency and durability played a significant factor in his career. Acquired in a trade prior to the 2021 campaign, in just one season with the Toronto Blue Jays, he went 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA and 144 strikeouts.

Forget about Robbie Ray and Marcus Semien for now. Let’s focus on Steven Matz. Will the Blue Jays regret not re-signing Steven Matz?

Only time would tell, but I don’t blame the Blue Jays front office for not re-signing him. Their plate is too full. In the business of baseball or sports in general, you can’t keep everyone, and you can’t make everyone happy. That’s just how it works.

With southpaw Steven Matz signing with the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason, will the Blue Jays regret not re-signing him?

Matz had a nice bounce-back season, but that’s just one year. How do we know if he can keep this up? Reliability is key. The Blue Jays are trying to win a championship, and they want to put their best options out on the field. I’m not saying that Matz isn’t precisely a guy that can help you bring a championship because he did go to the World Series in 2015 and made some contributions, but his track record of not staying healthy is a significant issue. It’s an issue for any organization that is trying to win NOW.

He’s 30 years old and still in the prime of his career. Matz has a strong fastball of 94-95 miles per hour. He has a sharp curveball with a blend of a slider.

Is the best yet to come for Steven Matz? Well, these next three or four years will determine whether the Blue Jays made the right decision or not. In the meantime, Blue Jays expect a lot from their starters, Jose Berrios and Kevin Gausman, who have both signed on for the long term during the off-season.