The New York Yankees will head into the 2020 season without two of their best starting pitchers. Now with their rotation more of a weakness than before, the Yankees have reportedly pursued a trade for New York Mets pitcher Steven Matz.
According to The New York Post’s Mike Puma, the Yankees recently reached out to the Mets regarding Matz’s availability for a trade. While the Mets reportedly are open to moving him, there’s currently no momentum towards a potential deal.
Matz is coming off a respectable season with the Mets. He recorded a 4.21 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with a 153/52 K/BB ratio across 160.1 innings this past season. The 28-year-old southpaw has flashed the abilities to be a No. 3 starter in his career and is under contract control for the next two seasons.
The Yankees were already going to be without James Paxton to start the season following spinal surgery early in February. New York then learned it will be without Luis Severino for the entire year after it was determined he needs Tommy John surgery.
The Mets could explore dealing Matz thanks to their immense rotation depth. However, the front office would likely be seeking MLB talent in exchange for Matz and the Yankees are reportedly opposed to trading Miguel Andujar for Matz.
It’s worth noting that the Mets and Yankees most recently traded with each other in 2018, but it was only the second deal between the two teams in the past decade.