Cubs Sign Reliever Phil Maton to Two-Year Deal

The Chicago Cubs bolstered their bullpen Friday by signing veteran right-handed reliever Phil Maton to a two-year contract that includes a club option for a third year, according to league sources. The 32-year-old Maton, pending a physical, becomes the team's first free-agent addition this offseason as they aim to build on a playoff appearance.

Maton joins his eighth major league club after a standout 2025 season split between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. He posted a career-best 2.79 earned-run average over 63 relief appearances, finishing 4-5 with five saves and 81 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings while maintaining a 1.06 walks-plus-hits-per-inning ratio. With the Cardinals early in the year, Maton went 1-3 with a 2.35 ERA and two saves. He was traded to the Rangers on July 31 in exchange for minor league pitchers Skylar Hayes and Mason Molina, then contributed a 3-2 record, three saves and a 3.52 ERA in 23 innings for Texas.

A ninth-year major league veteran, Maton was selected by the San Diego Padres in the 20th round of the 2015 amateur draft out of Louisiana Tech University and made his debut with them in 2017. Over 478 career games, he holds a 23-20 record with a...