One-time Guardians reliever lands in NL Central

With the regular season drawing ever closer, the St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to terms on a deal with a relief pitcher that Cleveland Guardians fans should be somewhat familiar with. Phil Maton has signed a one-year $2 million deal, as he lands in the National League Central for the first time in his career.

Maton was acquired by Cleveland back in 2019, with international bonus pool money being sent to the San Diego Padres. It was a bit of a brief stay in Cleveland for Maton, as he made just 70 appearances for the ballclub from 2019-2021. Overall, Maton was fine but not spectacular for Cleveland, pitching to a 4.30 ERA and 1.261 WHIP while averaging 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Maton's K/9 ratio in Cleveland was the best in his career, as he has not even eclipsed the 10 K/9 barrier with any other organization.

Cleveland decided to trade Maton and catching prospect Yainer Diaz to the Houston Astros for Myles Straw in a deal that has not aged well for the Guardians. Diaz has become a highly productive offensive player at a position that is hard to come by, while the highlight of Straw's time in Cleveland was the 60 games played in 2021 before signing an extension that did not age well. Straw has since been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays after spending the majority of the 2024 season with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers.

Maton spent last season splitting time with the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Mets, finishing the season with a 3.66 ERA, 1.109 WHIP, and 8.1 K/9 in 71 appearances between the two clubs. The 31-year-old reliever should be able to be a reliable option for the Cardinals this season and could very well be on the move once again should St. Louis be out of the playoff picture at the trade deadline.