The Boston Red Sox appear very interested in free-agent left-hander Steven Matz. But they're not alone.
The Red Sox are one of eight teams that have made an offer to Matz in free agency, MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported Tuesday. Here are the eight teams, per Heyman:
- Boston Red Sox
- Toronto Blue Jays
- Detroit Tigers
- Chicago Cubs
- St. Louis Cardinals
- San Francisco Giants
- Los Angeles Angels
- New York Mets
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Matz enjoyed a career season with the Blue Jays in 2021, going 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 150.2 innings pitched. He'll turn 31 next May, but the former New York Mets hurler could be a solid middle-of-the-rotation pitcher for a contender.
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The Red Sox are in the market for such an arm after losing Eduardo Rodriguez to the Tigers earlier this month. Boston initially was linked to Matz late last week, and chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said Monday the team has gotten "more involved" in contract talks with several players of late.
Matz's robust market could inflate his price tag north of the $5.2 million he earned with Toronto last season, and Bloom has yet to hand out a free-agent contract more than the two years, $14 million he gave Kiké Hernandez last offseason. If the Red Sox want to land Matz, they'll need to act fast as well, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman, who notes Matz could make his decision by Wednesday.
So, keep a close eye on Matz over the next 24 hours as Boston plots its offseason pitching strategy.