Newly acquired Boston Red Sox reliever Steven Matz is not just a random piece that the Red Sox "settled" for at the trade deadline. As a GM, you want to diversify the roster to build something sustainable. Having the fancy young guns is nice and all, but veteran expertise matters in the game too, especially within the clubhouse.
Matz brings that to the table. According to The Athletic, Steven Matz (along with Phil Maton) was a huge clubhouse influence for his former team. It also helped that he was performing well this season, posting a 3.32 ERA on the season with 49 strikeouts in 34 games.
The Red Sox already have some veteran talent. Justin Wilson and Aroldis Chapman bring that to the bullpen, while Trevor Story, Alex Bregman and even Jarren Duran are leaders in the lineup.
Matz, however, has what even many Red Sox veterans lack: postseason credibility. Aside from Bregman and Chapman, few Red Sox bring that to the table, and Matz has the experience to help guide this young roster to postseason success.
Many have written off the Matz trade as a terrible one, arguing that he's not the piece the Red Sox should have been targeting at the deadline. And they're right. Matz and May were almost certainly backup plans when the pursuit of Joe Ryan didn't work out.
But there's method to Craig Breslow's madness. If there's anything that we've learned about him in Boston, it's that he knows what he's doing with pitching. As a former pitcher himself, he seems to truly understand evaluating talent at the position.
Is Matz going to be a headliner? Absolutely not. But can he get the job done when needed? You bet. And can he be a clubhouse leader, helping mentor the young talent? Totally. So with all that in mind, is this trade a low-key steal? Most likely.