Boston Red Sox Rumors: 2 Blue Jays pitchers that the Sox could target

Boston Red Sox free agent target No. 2: Steven Matz

The Red Sox are rumored to be one team heavily pursuing Steven Matz, and a quick look at his 2021 numbers shows you why. The 30 year old lefty posted a 14-7 record with a 3.82 ERA and 144 strikeouts. It was a solid season for the former New York Met in his first (and potentially only) season in Toronto with the Blue Jays, but a closer look at his career shows it was quite the bounce back season too.

For those not familiar with Matz’s story, the young lefty exploded onto the scene in 2015, going 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA over his first six starts. He followed that up with his actual rookie season in 2015, and he ended up finishing six in the Rookie of the Year race. But Matz would struggle with consistency and injuries over the next four seasons, finishing with an ERA below four just one time.

Matz was traded to the Blue Jays after posting a 9.68 ERA in 2020, and it paid off handsomely for the Jays. Matz had his best season statistically since his 2015 season, and he now seems set to cash in on the market. Matz would be an ideal replacement for the departing Rodriguez, and he wouldn’t cost nearly as much as some of the other names on the market.

Matz is probably for looking for a deal around $10 million per year, which would be perfect for Boston. This would allow them to target another bat for the lineup, with a guy like Chris Taylor becoming a prime target. Matz has struggled with consistency, but we’ve seen Boston take guys like Nick Pivetta, who had no track record of consistency, and turn him into a solid backend rotation guy. Matz has a better track record than Pivetta, but you get the point.

In a starting pitcher market loaded with some big names, it seems only fitting that Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom and the front office locked in on an under the radar target that could end up being a steal. Matz would be a perfect middle of the rotation guy that would replace Rodriguez immediately. But if the team wants to try to land another potential ace, they should target the next player on this list instead.