When New York Mets owner Steve Cohen gets mad online, he airs his grievances on Twitter. In the latest example of MLB owners acting just like us, Cohen fired off an angry tweet after Steven Matz spurned the Mets to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Cohen, a 65-year-old man, said he’s never seen “such unprofessional behavior” from an agent.
Cohen also implied he exchanged “words and promises” with Matz’s agent. The Mets apparently believed Matz would give them a final chance to meet or exceed whatever offer he received, according to Jon Heyman.
The Mets were reportedly willing to match Matz’s four-year, $44 million from the Cardinals.
Matz’s agent, Rob Martin, responded to Cohen’s tweet, but decided to take the high road.
Steven Matz joins Cardinals on $44 million deal
Matz, 30, was drafted by the Mets in the second round of the 2009 MLB draft. The lefty spent his first six seasons with the team, putting up a 4.35 ERA in New York. After struggling in 2020, Matz was shipped to the Toronto Blue Jays. He posted a 3.82 ERA in his only season with Toronto, and hit the free-agent market in November.
With the Cardinals, Matz should slot in behind Adam Wainwright and Jack Flaherty in the team’s rotation. Injuries and durability have been issues for Matz. He’s exceeded 160 innings in a single season just once over his career. When healthy, Matz is an above-average starter with a solid strikeout rate.
The Cardinals are coming off a 90-win season and a playoff appearance, and are once again expected to compete in the National League Central in 2022. The Mets won 77 games and finished third in the National League East last season.
The team’s early offseason was defined by an inability to hire a new general manager. The team eventually hired Billy Eppler in November after multiple candidates turned the team down.
Given that, one would think Matz’s decision wouldn’t bother Cohen. He should be used to rejection by now.
