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Phil Maton is a Cub.
The veteran reliever agreed to a two-year contract with Chicago that includes a club option, per The Athletic. The financial terms of the deal are not clear.
The 32-year-old Maton is coming off a strong 2025 campaign split between the Cardinals and Rangers, as he posted a career-best 2.79 ERA over 63 appearances with 81 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings.
He struck out 33 hitters in 23 innings with a 3.52 ERA and 0.957 WHIP for the Rangers after getting shipped to Texas before the MLB trade deadline in late July, but his overall body of work likely elevated his value in a market heading into hot stove season.
Maton had a stint with the Mets in 2024, where he delivered a 2.51 ERA in 31 relief outings after arriving in a trade with the Rays.
He quickly became one of the Mets’ most trustworthy bullpen arms during their run to capture the final National League wild-card spot.
However, he imploded in the postseason, putting up an 8.53 ERA in the playoffs, allowing six earned runs and 11 hits in 6 1/3 innings.
The Mets declined his club option that winter, allowing Maton to enter free agency, and he eventually joined the Cardinals.
The reliever will be heading into his 10th MLB season, joining his eighth club in the process.
In his MLB career, Maton has a 3.98 ERA with 539 strikeouts across 472 1/3 innings. He’ll now likely join the back end of the Cubs’ bullpen and try to help them get back into the playoffs for the second straight year.
