Steven Matz says he and Mets never had a deal this offseason
Steven Matz of the Cardinals pitches in the third inning against the Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 22 in Cincinnati. Credit: Getty Images/Dylan Buell
ST. LOUIS — New Cardinals pitcher Steven Matz said there was “a good chance” of him returning to the Mets last offseason, and he was surprised that his decision to sign with another club blew up the way that it did after owner Steve Cohen angrily tweeted his displeasure it.
The Mets were one of more than a half-dozen teams to express interest in Matz, a lefthander who starred at Ward Melville, during his brief free agency in November. But he said Monday that it never got as far as reaching an agreement or him thinking he was rejoining his hometown team.
“There were no deals done or anything,” Matz said before the start of a series between his current team and former team. “[Cohen] is a passionate owner. You gotta respect that. But it is what it is. I don’t love drama. It’s not my personality. I don’t love it. I was really excited to come to this organization. That overshadowed it for me.”
Reports at the time said the Mets thought they had a deal with Matz. He instead agreed with the Cardinals — who gave him $44 million over four years — late on Nov. 23.
“I’m not happy this morning,” Cohen wrote on Nov. 24. “I’ve never seen such unprofessional behavior exhibited by a player’s agent. I guess words and promises don’t matter.”
Matz’s agent, Rob Martin, issued a statement that day that read in part: “It’s unfortunate that he chose to take his frustrations to Twitter. I will not do the same, and instead will take the high road which is consistent with both my character and the character of our client . . . There was a strong pull (for Matz) to return to the Mets. But ultimately he made the decision he felt was best for him and his family. Steven is and always will be grateful to the Mets and Mets fans, but he now looks forward to his next chapter with the tremendous franchise in St. Louis.”
Matz, donning a Cardinal red pullover on a chilly day at Busch Stadium, expressed a similar sentiment and even praised Cohen, noting that “everybody respects him for what he is doing,” i.e. spending a ton of money on players.
“I knew there was a good chance [of signing with the Mets], but I really wasn’t sure,” he said. “When the Cardinals came and offered me what they did, I was really excited. That was ultimately the final one. It wasn’t like I made a commitment or anything. That is how it went.”
That storyline became a footnote to the Mets’ offseason when they committed a quarter-billion dollars over the next week to Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Mark Canha and Eduardo Escobar.
Happy with his decision, Matz is off to a decent start with St. Louis and is scheduled to pitch against the Mets on Wednesday. His 5.27 ERA is inflated by blister-induced problems in his debut, from which he has since rebounded with two strong outings (10 2/3 innings, one run, 12 strikeouts).
It is also cool, he said, to play alongside three franchise icons in their final season: Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright.
“It’s a really fun team,” Matz said. “I just feel like playing with Wainwright, Yadi, Pujols — it’s pretty special.”
Walker update
Taijuan Walker’s simulated game — four innings, 64 pitches — went smoothly, he said, giving him hope that his bout of bursitis in his right shoulder has subsided.
He is penciled in to return Saturday against the Phillies, but the Mets will wait to make sure he feels OK on Tuesday before locking that in.
“I threw everything. My velo was really good,” he said. “I threw sliders and stuff. So my shoulder held up and everything. It feels really good.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
