ORLANDO, Fla. – Steven Matz, who spent the second half of the ’25 season in the Red Sox bullpen, has a two-year deal with their division-rival Tampa Bay Rays, pending a physical.
The veteran left-hander was Boston’s only successful addition at this summer’s trade deadline. After pitching to a 3.44 ERA in 32 games for the St. Louis Cardinals prior, Matz posted 2.08 ERA in 21 Red Sox appearances, helping the club to a winning record and postseason for the first time since 2021.
Over 11 seasons in the majors, Matz owns a 4.19 ERA across 246 games, including 172 starts. He worked exclusively as a starter during his first four seasons, and pitched primarily in that capacity until this year, when he made 30 relief appearances and just two starts for the Cardinals. The Red Sox were the first team to use him exclusively in a relief role, but the results, coupled with this new multi-year deal, speak for themselves.
Though Matz has spent the bulk of his career in the National League, including the first six seasons in the New York Mets’ rotation and three and a half seasons with the Cardinals, the Rays will be his third AL East ball club. He made 29 starts for the ’21 Toronto Blue Jays. As such, he will be the fifth pitcher ever to play for these three division rivals, a list that also includes Chase Anderson, Mark Guthrie, Trever Miller, and 2018 World Series champion David Price.
