The Chicago Cubs have signed veteran right-handed reliever Phil Maton to a two-year contract with a club option for 2028, making it the team’s first multi-year free-agent reliever deal since Craig Kimbrel in 2019.
Maton split the 2025 season between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers, combining for a 4-5 record with a career-best 2.79 ERA in 63 games. He struck out 81 batters in 61⅓ innings, posting a 1.06 WHIP, 22 holds, and five saves. While his fastball velocity averaged just 89.6 mph, ranking in the third percentile among MLB relievers, Maton was effective in spin-heavy offerings and deception.
His cutter, curveball, and sweeper all posted whiff rates above 32%, and he limited hitters to a 29.9% hard-hit rate for the season. Opponents batted just .536/.611 OPS split against right- and left-handed hitters, respectively. Baseball Savant metrics revealed Maton’s exceptional swing-and-miss ability (98th percentile) and hard-contact suppression (99th percentile).
The 32-year-old began the year with the Cardinals on a one-year, $2 million deal, recording a solid ERA of 2.35 with 38⅓ innings pitched before being traded to the Rangers at the trade deadline in exchange for minor leaguers Skylar Hales and Mason Molina. In Texas, his ERA rose to 3.52 over 23 appearances, but he increased his strikeout rate to 36.7% and added three saves. Combined, the season represented arguably the best performance of Maton’s nine-year MLB career.
A journeyman since his debut with the San Diego Padres in 2017, Maton has pitched for seven other teams, including the Cleveland Guardians, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, Cardinals, and Rangers. Since entering the major leagues, he holds a 3.98 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 478 games and has gained significant postseason experience, making 26 playoff appearances with a 2.57 ERA. Worth mentioning, he contributed five scoreless innings during Houston’s 2021 World Series run.
The Cubs enter the 2026 season needing to reconstruct their bullpen after the departures of Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, Drew Pomeranz, and Andrew Kittredge. Daniel Palencia remains the only high-leverage reliever from last year’s roster. Maton’s addition addresses a late-inning need, likely complementing Palencia and providing a veteran presence as a setup man.
With his strikeout ability, command, and experience in high-pressure situations, Maton gives Chicago a reliable option for the backend of the bullpen as they look to build on their 90-win 2025 campaign, which ended in the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
