The Rangers have traded for Cardinals reliever Phil Maton
The Texas Rangers are trading for St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Phil Maton, per reports. Maton, 32, is on a one year, $2 million deal, and will be a free agent after the season.
Maton spent several years with the Houston Astros, and was on the 2023 Astros club that the Rangers beat in the American League Championship Series that year. He is having his best season, putting up a 2.35 ERA and 2.49 FIP in 38.1 IP over 40 appearances, with a 2.55 xERA. His K rate is at 30.4% this year, the best mark of his career other than the truncated 2020 season, and he has allowed just one homer. For his career he has a 4.01 ERA and 3.87 FIP in 449 innings.
Maton will join Danny Coulombe as the new additions to the Rangers pen. Texas has also reportedly landed starting pitcher Merrill Kelly from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
No word yet on who the Rangers are giving up. We will update when more details are available.
UPDATE — Per Evan Grant, the Rangers are sending pitchers Mason Molina and Skylar Hales and $250,000 in international slot money to St. Louis in this deal.
Hales was the Rangers’ 4th round pick in 2023. He’s a reliever who just moved up to Round Rock, though he’s gotten beaten up in seven outings there since his promotion.
Molina was acquired over the winter from the Milwaukee Brewers for Grant Anderson. The 21 year old has a 3.41 ERA in 74 innings over 18 games between low-A and high-A.
UPDATE II — The trade is official. The Rangers get Maton for Mason Molina, Skylar Hales, and international bonus pool money. To make room for Maton on the 40 man roster, the Rangers have designated Dustin Harris for assignment.
The move with Harris isn’t surprising, as he is on his last option, and hasn’t hit enough to be a viable option as a corner outfielder, having slashed .269/.363/.409 in three seasons at AAA, including .262/.355/.401 for Round Rock this year.