Mets are giving Steven Matz the Zack Wheeler treatment

The New York Mets have more starting pitchers than spots in the rotation. Unfortunately for Steven Matz, he’s someone Brodie Van Wagenen could be pushing out.

Steven Matz has had plenty of chances in his years with the New York Mets to establish himself as a starting pitcher for the organization. Even this spring, with Michael Wacha seemingly in competition with him for the fifth spot, the lone lefty is getting a shot.

However, with no confirmation about his role with this team and Wacha’s continued insistence that he came to the Mets to start, it seems the only professional organization Matz has ever known is pushing him aside.

In a way, Matz is getting the Zack Wheeler treatment. That’s if you believe Wheeler from this winter’s mini-feud with Brodie Van Wagenen.

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You may even recall at the beginning of the 2018 season when Wheeler was the outside man and actually began the season in the minor leagues. Although a demotion to Syracuse isn’t in Matz’s future, he could be on the verge of losing a corner office.

There is a theme with the BVW Regime. He definitely favors former clients of his over other players. Jason Vargas is the only ex-client he traded away and that felt necessary after his altercation with Newsday’s Tim Healey in the locker room.

And while Van Wagenen did likely initial a few places on Yoenis Cespedes’ contract revision, this was also a necessary move the team needed to make.

Van Wagenen has continually brought in former CAA clients with many of them falling flat. Jed Lowrie is probably the biggest example of this. It doesn’t look like he’ll be ready to play by Opening Day yet again in 2020.

In Matz’s case, he seems to be behind Wacha on the depth chart—at least from the perception the team is giving off. Trade rumors involving Matz, continued stories from SNY about a potential transition to the bullpen, and simply allowing the longtime Mets starter to head into 2020 not knowing what his role will be all points at the team having plans for a rotation rounded out by Wacha; a former Brodie client.

When the Mets moved on from Wheeler this winter, it made sense given the large contract the Philadelphia Phillies offered. If they had paid him the same amount, we could probably kiss the chances of a long term deal with Marcus Stroman or Noah Syndergaard goodbye.

Matz still has two years of control so there’s no urgency to move on from him in a trade. With the way things are shaping up and Van Wagenen’s aggressiveness in the past, it wouldn’t be shocking to learn their plan is to eventually trade him in the middle of 2020.

The Mets have made some questionable moves during this regime. This includes last trade deadline’s deal for Stroman which at the time caught us off guard because of how far out of the playoff race they still were. It ended up as a wise decision even if they never did turn things around fully in 2019.

In an ideal world, I think the Mets would like to head into 2020 with the six starters. If Wacha can bounce back, this allows them to move Matz midseason for help in other areas.

Similarly, perhaps they can find some magic with Matz shifting from the rotation to a relief role. His first inning struggles are infamous. How will he handle entering the game in a more crooked-looking inning?

Matz is an outsider with this rotation. He’s the non-CAA client or addition Van Wagenen chose.

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The writing is on the wall. And it doesn’t seem to indicate Matz is calling anyone for a good time.