{"id":32959,"date":"2025-03-14T03:15:49","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T03:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=32959"},"modified":"2025-03-14T03:15:49","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T03:15:49","slug":"former-mets-star-emerges-as-possible-answer-to-yankees-rotation-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=32959","title":{"rendered":"Former Mets&#8217; Star Emerges as Possible Answer to Yankees&#8217; Rotation Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ac_99227888\" class=\"article_chunk type_50\">\n<div class=\"froala-view custom-theme first_text_block\">\n<p>The Yankees are scrambling for pitching solutions following Gerrit Cole&#8217;s season-ending Tommy John surgery, and an unexpected name has surfaced as a possible trade target: former New York Mets top prospect Steven Matz.<\/p>\n<p>Matz, currently with the St. Louis Cardinals, hasn\u2019t performed to expectations since leaving New York, making him a surprising candidate.<\/p>\n<p>Joel Sherman, a New York Post columnist, highlighted this possibility on the Pinstripe Post podcast.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He\u2019s been a good lefty out of the bullpen,&#8221; Sherman explained on the Pinstripe Post podcast. &#8220;The day Luis Gil returns or you trade for someone else, Matz goes to the bullpen, and suddenly you have some depth.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"ac_99227890\" class=\"article_chunk type_50\">\n<div class=\"froala-view custom-theme \">\n<p>Matz, 33,\u00a0 is entering the final year of his contract in 2025, owed $12.5 million. It&#8217;s a significant salary for a pitcher who could end up in relief. Yet Sherman&#8217;s argument points to Matz\u2019s versatility: even if he initially fills a rotation spot,\u00a0his proven success as a left-handed reliever\u00a0offers valuable flexibility once the rotation regains health.<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s reason for caution, however.<\/p>\n<p>Matz has always battled injuries and inconsistency, limiting his value as a starter. Yet the Yankees might still gamble on his untapped upside, betting on their coaching staff&#8217;s ability to unlock potential. Pitching coach Matt Blake, known for revitalizing pitchers&#8217; careers, has helped similar talents rediscover form in New York.<\/p>\n<p>The Yankees are in a tough spot, with\u00a0Cole out for the\u00a0year and\u00a0Luis Gil likely out until after the All-Star break\u00a0with a lat strain.<\/p>\n<p>Sherman noted on the Pinstripe Post, &#8220;He&#8217;s been a good lefty out of the bullpen. So the day (Luis) Gil returns or you trade for someone else, Matz goes to the bullpen, and you have some depth.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Yankees would be betting on Matz\u2019s potential to thrive under Blake&#8217;s guidance, similar to how the club successfully turned around other struggling arms. If the Yankees see value beyond just an emergency starter, trading for Matz makes sense.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Yankees are scrambling for pitching solutions following Gerrit Cole&#8217;s season-ending Tommy John surgery, and an unexpected name has surfaced as a possible trade target: former New&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":32961,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32959","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Former Mets&#039; Star Emerges as Possible Answer to Yankees&#039; Rotation Crisis - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=32959\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former Mets&#039; 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