The New York Mets and starting pitcher Steven Matz avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $5 million deal. The 28-year-old southpaw has now made 30 starts for the Mets in back-to-back seasons after dealing with arm issues earlier in his five-year career. He went 11-10 with a 4.21 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 153 strikeouts in his 160 1/3 innings in 2019. It was a slight drop from when Matz posted a 3.97 ERA in his 30 starts in 2018 despite a 5-11 record. Consistency has been an ...