The Chicago Cubs kicked the weekend off in a big way.
Friday evening, a few hours after the MLB tender deadline, news broke that the Cubs had signed veteran reliever Phil Maton to a multi-year deal.
Bleacher Nation’s Michael Cerami first reported the news:
The Athletic’s Will Sammon later confirmed and added more information, reporting the deal is for two years with a club option for 2028.
This is a big move for the Cubs, who typically don’t sign relievers to multi-year deals in free agency.
This reported deal for Maton is the first time the Cubs signed a relief pitcher to a two-year deal or longer since Craig Kimbrel in 2019.
There is a high degree of volatility from year to year with relievers, and Jed Hoyer’s front office has been adept at finding diamonds in the rough to augment the bullpen. But with Maton, they are bucking the trend.
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He will turn 33 in March and was one of the game’s top relievers last season, splitting time between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers.
The right-hander posted a 2.79 ERA in 2025 with a 1.06 WHIP, 22 holds and five saves. He also struck out 81 batters in 61.1 innings, good for a whopping 11.9 K/9 rate.
What’s interesting about Maton is not just his success, but how he gets hitters out. In an age when everybody in baseball is chasing velocity, Maton is zigging while his peers are zagging.
He ranked in the third percentile in fastball velocity (89.6 mph) in 2025, but his Baseball Savant page is littered with dark red in most categories (which is a really good thing).
He was among the best in the game at inducing swings-and-misses (98th percentile) and limiting hard contact (99th percentile in hard-hit percentage).
The underlying numbers show Maton’s career season was for real — his .195 expecting batting average sat in the 95th percentile in MLB in 2025.
Maton signed with the Cardinals as a free agent this past March and after a strong start to the season, he was dealt to the Rangers at the trade deadline.
He has spent nine seasons in the big leagues, pitching for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians, Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets in addition to the Cardinals and Rangers.
Over his career, Maton has a 3.98 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 478 games.
He also has extensive postseason experience, pitching 26 games in October with a 2.57 ERA. Maton helped pitch the Astros to the World Series in 2021, tossing five scoreless innings against the eventual-champion Atlanta Braves.
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The Cubs needed bullpen help this offseason, as most of their core relievers have departed this fall. Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar and Drew Pomeranz all hit free agency, while Andrew Kittredge was dealt back to the Baltimore Orioles.
That left just Daniel Palencia as the team’s only high-leverage holdover from last season.
Maton figures to complement Palencia in the bullpen and provide a veteran presence as a backend arm.
