ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Left-handed pitcher Steven Matz is heading to Tampa Bay after finalizing a $15 million, two-year contract with the Rays.
The deal will pay Matz $7.5 million annually. Matz would receive a one-time $500,000 assignment bonus if he's traded, payable by the acquiring team.
Matz, 34, went 6-2 with a 3.05 ERA and two saves last season in a career-high 53 appearances with the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox. He struck out 59 and walked 11 in 76 2/3 innings.
He went 5-2 with one save and a 3.44 ERA for St. Louis in 32 appearances, including two starts. After getting traded to Boston, Matz was 0-0 with one save and a 2.08 ERA in 21 relief outings with the Red Sox.
Matz walked only 3.6% of the batters he faced last season for the fourth-lowest percentage of any pitcher who worked at least 50 innings.
He is 60-62 with a 4.19 ERA in 246 career appearances, including 172 starts. Matz has pitched for the New York Mets (2015-20), Toronto Blue Jays (2021), Cardinals (2021-25) and Red Sox (2025).
Tampa Bay made room for Matz on its 40-man roster by designating outfielder Tristan Peters for assignment.
Peters, 25, went 0 for 12 in four games with Tampa Bay last season. He hit .266 with a .355 on-base percentage, 15 homers, 76 RBIs and 11 steals in 136 games with Triple-A Durham.
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FILE - Boston Red Sox pitcher Steven Matz against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara,File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump tried in a live speech Wednesday night from the White House to convince the American people that they are wrong to worry about the U.S. economy, saying any challenges are being repaired.
“Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,” Trump said.
His remarks are came at a crucial time as he tries to rebuild his steadily eroding popularity. Public polling shows most U.S. adults are frustrated with his handling of the economy as inflation picked up after his tariffs raised prices and hiring slowed.
Flanked by two Christmas trees with a portrait of George Washington behind him in the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room, Trump sought to pin any worries about high inflation on his predecessor, Joe Biden.
In 2026, Trump and his party face a referendum on their leadership as the nation heads into the midterm elections that will decide control of the House and the Senate.
The White House remarks were a chance for Trump to try to regain some momentum after Republican losses in this year’s elections raised questions about the durability of his coalition.
Trump brought charts with him to make the case that the economy is on an upward trajectory.
But the hard math internalized by the public paints a more complicated picture of an economy that has some stability but few reasons to inspire much public confidence.
The stock market is up, gasoline prices are down and tech companies are placing large bets on the development of artificial intelligence.
But inflation that had been descending after spiking to a four-decade high in 2022 under Biden has reaccelerated after Trump announced his tariffs in April.
The consumer price index is increasing at an annual rate of 3%, up from 2.3% in April.
The affordability squeeze is also coming from a softening job market. Monthly job gains have averaged a paltry 17,000 since April’s “Liberation Day” in which Trump announced import taxes that he later suspended and then readjusted several months later.
The unemployment rate has climbed from 4% in January to 4.6%.
Follow the AP's coverage of President Donald Trump at https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump.
President Donald Trump looks on after stepping off Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump speaks during an address to the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington. (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP, Pool)
President Donald Trump speaks during a Mexican Border Defense Medal presentation in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
