Following a 92-70 record and NL Wild Card series win over the San Diego Padres, the Chicago Cubs ran into the team that finished above them in the NL Central, the Milwaukee Brewers, in the NL Division Series (NLDS). Despite dragging the top-seeded Brewers to the limit, the Cubs fell short. As the team looks to retool ahead of the 2026 campaign, the North Siders have signed veteran reliever Phil Maton to a two-year contract, per MLB's official X, formerly Twitter, account.

“Cubs sign RHP Phil Maton to a 2-year deal,” posted the official league page.

In 63 games with the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals last year, Maton notched a 2.79 ERA and 81 strikeouts. In addition to time with the Rangers and Cardinals, Maton has also pitched for five other teams since debuting in 2017. Now, he'll look to become a key piece in the Cubs bullpen for manager Craig Counsell. Can president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and the Chicago front office add even more to a roster that needs a boost to get back to the playoffs next season?

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Cubs look to get back to postseason after disappointing NLDS exit

Chicago Cubs president Jed Hoyer talks to the press before a game against the New York Mets at Wrigley Field.
Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

With Maton in the fold, the Cubs' bullpen does look better than it did a few days ago. The veteran will likely become one of Counsell's late-inning options, to go with closer Daniel Palancia and set-up man Porter Hodge. While another arm or two wouldn't be out of the question, there are other options that Hoyer and the front office need to explore.

Japanese starter Shota Imanaga accepted his qualifying offer of a little over $22 million. So, the starting rotation could be good to go. However, another arm couldn't hurt. In the lineup, superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker will likely need to be replaced. There are several routes that Hoyer and the front office could take to replace the likely $400 million-plus outfielder. With one area addressed, it's clear there is still a lot to do with Counsell's roster. How will the Cubs look come Opening Day next March?