According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the St. Louis Cardinals have reached an agreement with New York Mets free agency reliever Phil Maton. Heyman stated that the deal would be for $2 million, with the possibility of some extras. St. Louis is believed to be rebuilding, which means Maton might be a trade candidate if he has a strong first half of the season.
Maton played for both the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Mets last season. With the Rays, he made 40 appearances and recorded a 4.58 ERA with two saves. However, the righty performed significantly better with the Mets. He had a 2.51 ERA and a 2.57 FIP in 28 2/3 innings for the Mets’ bullpen. Maton will now be assigned to a middle relief job in the St. Louis bullpen, with a few exceptional arms handling the high-leverage spots.
If the righty can put together a successful first half, the Cardinals may trade him and Ryan Helsley to a competitive team in exchange for prospects. Last season, the reliever market was quite heated. We saw relief pitchers moved for far more than they usually would, with the Miami Marlins receiving a big haul in exchange for Tanner Scott.
The Cardinals could possibly keep him. He’s expected to earn only a few million dollars, so signing and keeping him isn’t a risk.
