When Steven Matz was a free agent after the 2021 season, the Red Sox were among the teams that expressed interest in signing him.
It wasn’t just team officials who reached out either.
“I remember a lot of guys reaching out,” the left-hander said Friday. “I remember (Nathan) Eovaldi reaching out, Kiké Hernandez, (Kevin) Plawecki and everyone saying how much they loved it here and the culture here, how much they love (Alex Cora) and playing here.”
Matz wound up signing with the St. Louis Cardinals on a four-year, $44 million contract, but he never forgot the things he heard about Boston. So when he found out this week that he’d been traded to the Red Sox, there was an immediate sense of comfort that he was winding up in a good spot.
“It’s super exciting,” Matz said. “Fenway is one of my favorite places to come play as a visitor, the atmosphere is always awesome and with this team, it’s an exciting young team with a lot of energy, super athletic, so I think it will be really fun.”
Matz was one of two pitchers acquired by the Red Sox ahead of this week’s trade deadline, and the 34-year-old left-hander is expected to step into a prominent bullpen role. Originally a starting pitcher, Matz has acclimated well to his new role this season and currently boasts a 3.44 ERA with 47 strikeouts in 55 innings and 32 appearances.
Matz said he hasn’t been told specifically what his role he’ll serve in the Red Sox pen but that he’s comfortable working as both a single-inning reliever and as a bulk guy.
“Ultimately it’s the same thing, you don’t want to get guys on base and you don’t want to give up runs, so the mindset is the same,” Matz said. “You’re out there competing against the hitter and the game will dictate how you pitch a little bit but ultimately you want to get outs when you get in there.”
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