Red Sox lose key reliever to AL East rival
The Sox will now need to figure out one of their top middle relief spots after a deadline rental decided to join a new team.
A Red Sox trade deadline rental is moving on, but staying in the American League East.
Left-handed reliever Steven Matz has decided to join the Tampa Bay Rays on a two-year deal, as first reported Monday by Mark Topkin at the Tampa Bay Times. Matz, 34, previously came over to the Red Sox at the deadline in a swap for minor league infielder Blaze Jordan. The Rays will be his fifth major league club and third in the AL East, after previously playing for the Mets, Blue Jays, and Cardinals before the Sox.
Matz posted a 2.08 ERA in 21 innings for the Red Sox, providing valuable lefty middle relief as part of the bridge to closer Aroldis Chapman. He walked only two batters over 21 2/3 innings while striking out 12. Matz's ERA and 0.8 walks per nine were career-low marks with one team in a single season. However, he did allow four home runs and 17 total hits, and his 4.84 FIP illustrates that he benefitted from good defense behind him amid a low strikeout rate and issues with the long ball.
Either way, Matz was ultimately an effective left-handed reliever in his brief stint in Boston and now needs to be replaced. After Chapman, Kyle Harrison and Jovani Moran are the most notable southpaws under contract that have an opportunity to become regular bullpen pieces in 2026. Options are slim in free agency, where 38-year-old Caleb Thielbar (career 3.26 ERA) may qualify as the best choice if they choose to take that route.
Bullpen help is secondary to the Boston's bigger needs, though. At the Winter Meetings, they've been linked to several big-name infielders, including the potential retention of third baseman Alex Bregman. According to Ken Rosenthal at The Athletic, Bregman "still appears to be the Red Sox’s No. 1 target." But if they want to bolster their lineup, and not just maintain it, they will also want to land an impact bat to play first or second base. That's where Pete Alonso or Ketel Marte would come in.
Wednesday is the final day of the Winter Meetings in Orlando, so it's possible that we get a flurry of moves, whether in Boston or across baseball.
