Report: Cardinals, Matz agree to 4-year, $44M deal

The St. Louis Cardinals and free-agent left-hander Steven Matz have reached an agreement on a four-year, $44-million contract, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Matz's deal, which is pending a physical, reportedly includes incentives that could push the total value up to $48 million.

The veteran starting pitcher hit free agency on the heels of a solid one-year stint with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he posted a career-high 14 wins while authoring a 3.82 ERA, a 3.79 FIP, and posting 144 strikeouts across 150 2/3 innings.

Matz's impressive bounce-back campaign seemingly created a competitive market for his services. After declining to extend a qualifying offer, the Blue Jays offered him a three-year contract, a source told Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

Meanwhile, the New York Mets, with whom the former second-round pick spent the first six seasons of his pro career, were a finalist for his services, along with the Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

St. Louis' aggressive approach early in the offseason lands the organization a major upgrade to the middle of a rotation headlined by Jack Flaherty and Adam Wainwright.