Free-agent left-hander Steven Matz has agreed to a four-year, $44-million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals , Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith can confirm. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, who first reported the deal, the contract includes a signing bonus and could reach $48 million if Matz hits other incentives. The agreement is pending a physical. Matz rebounded last season while with the Toronto Blue Jays , posting a 14-7 record with a 3.82 ERA, 144 strikeouts and 43 walks in 2021. The Blue Jays acquired the 30-year-old from the New York Mets last January. Matz spent the first six years of his career in New York and made one start in the 2015 World Series as a rookie. Nicholson-Smith reports that the Blue Jays and Matz showed mutual interest in reuniting, but USA Today ‘s Bob Nightengale reports Matz received offers from eight teams. snippet id=5243960] The 2021 season saw Matz pitch more than 150 innings and throw more than 140 strikeouts for just the third time in hi...