A Cards fan growing up, Maton signs 1-year deal to join childhood team

JUPITER, Fla. -- Coming off one of the best years of his career, right-handed reliever Phil Maton was admittedly taken aback this offseason when he didn’t have multiple offers from MLB teams to choose from for the 2025 season.

But when an offer finally came from the Cardinals -- the team he grew up rooting for while living roughly 80 miles away from St. Louis in Chatham, Ill. -- Maton jumped at the chance to be a part of their already successful bullpen.

Looking to add proven depth to a bullpen that lost National League holds leader Andrew Kittredge in the offseason, the Cardinals signed Maton to a one-year contract on Thursday. Maton, 31, said he’s been working out in Arizona the past several weeks while waiting for offers from MLB teams, and he think he will be ready for game action after working in a couple of live batting-practice sessions. Maton -- an eight-year veteran with service time with the Padres, Guardians, Astros, Rays and Mets -- said he will undoubtedly be ready for Opening Day on March 27 at Busch Stadium.

“We were pretty confused with the entire offseason, in general,” said Maton, who had to wait months for a deal despite registering a career-best 18 holds last season and registered a 1.99 ERA over his final 42 games of last season with the Rays and Mets. “I guess there is less value in durability and being available every day than we thought there was going to be, but that’s the reality of it. So I’ve got to be ready to go this year to prove that they should have made me an offer.”

Maton is the first big league free agent signed by the Cardinals in an offseason where the club has openly talked about using 2025 to train the focus on playing time for its young core. Unable to execute deals throughout the offseason, St. Louis will still be anchored by veterans Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Ryan Helsley, Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz in the season ahead.

The Cardinals had one of the game’s best bullpens in 2024 with All-Star Helsley leading the Major Leagues with a club-record 49 saves and Kittredge leading the NL in holds with 37. The Cards' bullpen was first in the Majors in saves (55), seventh in ERA (3.64) and allowed the seventh-fewest homers (59).

Maton now gives St. Louis' 'pen another weapon against right-handed hitters. At his best, Maton keeps hitters off balance with one of the game’s most effective curveballs. Hitters batted just .160 against that pitch in 2024 and Maton had a 33.5% whiff rate with his curve.

“He can really spin it and that’s one of his best attributes,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “When you look at where we are and what’s needed, adding a right-handed arm was what’s needed and I’m glad it worked out this way.”

Maton grew up a staunch Cardinals fan and said he attended dozens of games at Busch Stadium II and III as a child. J.D. Drew, Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, Mark McGwire and Albert Pujols were his favorite players. To this day, Maton still considers getting to hit against Adam Wainwright (an infield groundout) and getting to face Yadier Molina as career highlights. He said his wife will be in charge of handling the dozens of ticket requests he expects to get from family and friends, mostly all of whom consider themselves to be Cards fans.

“Definitely younger Phil would have been stoked about it,” Maton said of playing for the Cardinals checking off one of his childhood dreams. “As you go through professional baseball, you get numb to it and your favorite team is whatever team you are on that year. So I’ve had multiple favorite teams in the last couple of years. But it’s going to be exciting being close to home and close to family and friends that grew up Cardinals fans.”

Maton, who discussed signing with the Cardinals following the 2023 season, was 3-3 with a 3.66 ERA in 71 games with the Rays and Mets last season. He appeared in six playoff games with the Mets, who advanced to the 2024 NL Championship Series before losing to the Dodgers. He’s pitched in 26 playoff games in his career, including in the 2021 World Series with the Astros.

Maton prides himself on being available to pitch several times a week, as he's made 271 appearances over the past four seasons.

“Something that I really take pride in is my durability and my availability, and that’s something I’d like to continue to do here,” said Maton, who will become just the second player in the rich history of the Cardinals to wear No. 88 (Dave Wainhouse in 2000). “With any great team, you have to have a really good closer, and having that position dialed in here [with Helsley] is a great thing. It’s one less question mark to have going forward.”