Cardinals floating another pitcher on trade block, but may be difficult to move

The 2024 offseason is going to be an interesting one for the St. Louis Cardinals. Instead of making meaningful additions to try and compete in 2025, the team made it abundantly clear that they're going to be prioritizing playing time for younger players. Winning isn't quite as important as it usually is.

This new path doesn't only mean that the team will let older players like Paul Goldschmidt, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson walk in free agency, but it also means that veterans under contract will be on the trade block. They might not all get moved, but they'll certainly be available.

Nolan Arenado's name has been very prevalent on the block, Ryan Helsley might be the best reliever available, and while Sonny Gray has a full no-trade clause, he might go, too. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (subscription required) added another name to the list - Steven Matz.

"They expect to field interest in several pitchers, including Ryan Helsley and Steven Matz," Goold wrote.

Matz certainly fits the mold of players that the Cardinals would like to trade. He's a 10-year veteran who is unlikely to have much of a future in St. Louis. Trading him for a younger player sounds ideal, in theory. The problem, though, is that Matz will be far from easy to move.

Steven Matz joins long list of Cardinals on trade block, but he'll be harder to move than others

When the Cardinals gave Steven Matz a four-year deal ahead of the 2022 campaign, they expected him to be a reliable back-end starter. Unfortunately, as his 4.47 ERA in 52 appearances (37 starts) would suggest, Matz has been mostly unreliable in his first three years with the Cardinals. Not only has he struggled to produce on the field, but he has missed substantial time due to injuries.

Unfortunately, injuries are nothing new for Matz. He has made more than 22 starts just three times in his 10 MLB seasons. He's had some strong years and even pitched well for much of the 2023 campaign before an injury ended his season prematurely.

This past season saw the southpaw make just 12 appearances (seven starts) and post a 5.08 ERA in 44.1 innings of work. He missed most of the season due to a back injury and did not pitch well when he was able to take the mound.

Given his injury history and his inconsistency when he's been able to take the mound, what can the Cardinals realistically get in exchange for Matz - a 33-year-old who is owed $12.5 million?

Starting pitching has never been more valuable than it is now, and Matz has shown that he's a capable No. 4 or No. 5 starter when healthy, but his price tag is a bit hefty, especially with how his Cardinals tenure has gone. The Cardinals can find a suitor if they're willing to eat some of the money, but is that realistic? Barring that, Matz might be too difficult to move.