The Boston Red Sox are bolstering their bullpen on the eve of the MLB trade deadline by making a play for Cardinals reliever Steven Matz, according to multiple reports. That means parting ways with their No. 17 prospect: Blaze Jordan. The deal is contingent on medicals being completed.
Matz is having a bit of a bounceback year after posting a 5.08 ERA and 1.444 WHIP in 2024. He's improved those figures to 3.44 and 1.182. If he can maintain that level, he'll no doubt improve the Red Sox.
Red Sox pick short-term gain with Steven Matz over long-term hopes for Blaze Jordan
The issue here is with the cost. Boston is shipping Jordan to St. Louis and there are more than a few fans who aren't thrilled about that. The 22-year-old infielder is batting .312 with 12 home runs and 62 RBI in Triple-A this year. His OPS is .872. The fact that Cardinals fans are excited about the return says a lot.
Still, Jordan didn't have a path to contribute with Boston anytime soon. Instead, he reunites with Chaim Bloom, who gets a prospect he seems to believe in. Even better, he gets him for a pitcher the Cardinals didn't expect to get a significant amount of value for.
In that sense, it's a win-win. If Jordan turns out to be a stud, then the re-grade of this trade down the line will not look pretty for Craig Breslow and company. That's the risk you accept when trading a hot-hitting prospect for a rental.
The Red Sox are going in on this season. They needed an arm and they found one. Meanwhile the Cardinals are very much out after embracing the sale this trade deadline. The proof for St. Louis will be in the pudding.