Mets have three directions they can go with Steven Matz

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 10: Steven Matz #32 of the New York Mets pitches against the Washington Nationals during their game at Citi Field on August 10, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

What does the future hold for Steven Matz and the New York Mets?

Steven Matz has underperformed for the last few seasons and 2020 is no exception. The left-handed New York Mets starting pitcher may get described differently at some point in the near future and I don’t mean he’ll become ambidextrous.

Although I don’t think Matz is in much danger of losing a rotation spot in 2020 because of how few options the team has, the 2021 season could bring about some changes. Matz is not the top-of-the-rotation arm he once looked like he could become. At best, he’s a number five.

This offseason, the Mets will have some major decisions to make with their pending free agents. Among those still under team control, what they do with Matz in the future is yet another big choice they will need to make.

What will the Mets do? They have three options.

Keep rolling with Matz in the rotation

The definition of insanity comes to mind if Matz is in the rotation yet again in 2021. He hasn’t done enough to win the job outright. Unfortunately, with other holes about to open up, it’s looking like there’s a good chance we see him out there yet again next year.

Rick Porcello, Marcus Stroman, and Michael Wacha are all free agents after the 2020 season is over. Expecting more than one to return is a little outrageous. We also need to keep in mind that Noah Syndergaard may, in fact, not be ready at the start of the season. Tommy John Surgery has come a long way but it’s far from a lock.

I don’t like this option. Matz is combustible on the mound. The odds that we see him reinvent himself over the winter and come into the 2021 season feel slim.

Fortunately, the Mets have two other directions they can go.

WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 04: Steven Matz #32 of the New York Mets pitches in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on August 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /

Move Matz to the bullpen

Matz doesn’t strike me as the type of pitcher who would automatically succeed in a relief role. Call it a gut feeling.

There are some starters who look like they could make the switch much easier. Matt Harvey, for instance, seemed like a perfect candidate. We saw what he was like at the top of his game. Moving to a relief role looked perfect for him. Sadly, he didn’t accept it.

Matz could always prove us wrong. He has had big league success. At his age, he shouldn’t be done just yet.

The worry with moving Matz to the bullpen full-time goes beyond just a feeling. It is well-documented that his worst inning is the first. As a reliever, we wouldn’t expect him to go more than an inning or two most nights. This is asking for trouble.

I still wouldn’t pass up the chance to experiment with Matz in a relief role because of this. If he’s going to stay in an orange and blue uniform, it’s the best way to keep him around. Optioning him to the minor leagues is one last resort option. I would prefer to see what he can possibly give the big league squad before sending him to Syracuse.

There’s a chance Matz doesn’t even make the 2021 Opening Day roster. If you remember, Zack Wheeler began 2018 in Triple-A. Depending on the other moves made by this franchise between now and Opening Day 2021, Matz could end up as an outsider and future emergency starter.

If he’s not in the rotation or the bullpen, there is one final place the Mets can go.

DENVER, COLORADO – SEPTEMBER 16: Starting pitcher Steven Matz #32 of the New York Mets throws in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 16, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Trade or non-tender Matz this winter

Originally, I was going to write about trading Matz and all of the possible places he could go, what the Mets could get, and how swapping him with another change-of-scenery candidate might work out.

The more thought I put into it, the less likely I believe this is something we would actually see.

I’m not completely negating the possibility of a trade. Left-handed pitchers can always find a place on a major league roster somewhere. So, let’s not devalue Matz completely.

However, non-tendering him seems to be the more realistic direction the club could go. Currently arbitration-eligible, the Mets are looking at paying him more than the $5 million he was set to earn in a full 2020 campaign.

It’s not a huge dollar amount but it is an overpayment for a guy who is a fringe-fifth starter. The Mets can find a more proven veteran arm via free agency if they are willing to part with Matz.

This does lead back to one of the issues already mentioned. How are the Mets going to fill all five rotation spots when they are going to lose out on several of them?

Brodie Van Wagenen, if anything, has been bold as the team’s general manager. He non-tendered Travis d’Arnaud in 2019 and even did the same with one of his trade pick-ups, Keon Broxton. Matz isn’t a former client of his so there’s none of that pre-Mets attachment.

It’s a cruel way for Matz’s tenure in New York to end. His performance, if it doesn’t get any better before the end of 2020, may warrant a sad ending like this.

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Home / New York Mets News

What does the future hold for Steven Matz and the New York Mets?

Keep rolling with Matz in the rotation

Move Matz to the bullpen

Trade or non-tender Matz this winter

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