Cardinals exchange highly valued resource to conclude an exceptional trade deal during the off-season
St. Louis Cardinals Trade Reliever Phil Maton to Texas Rangers
The St. Louis Cardinals have traded right-handed reliever Phil Maton to the Texas Rangers, marking the fourth time in Maton's nine-year career that he's been traded at the MLB trade deadline.
Maton, who signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Cardinals during spring training, has been a valuable asset to the team this season. He's recorded 20 holds, placing him in the top 10 in the league for that statistic, and has a 2.35 ERA. In 38.1 innings across 40 games, Maton has struck out 48 batters and recorded two saves.
However, Maton had a difficult July, which may have contributed to the trade. Despite this, he attracted interest from several teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Cardinals, who were retooling during 2025, targeted veteran free agents to be flipped at the deadline, as suggested in a previous article. The trade of Maton is an example of this strategy being successfully implemented.
In return for Maton, the Cardinals received LHP Mason Molina, RHP Skylar Hales, and $250k in international signing bonus pool money from the Rangers. This acquisition will help the Cardinals build up their farm system.
With Maton's departure, the "runway" is now officially open in the St. Louis Cardinals' bullpen for rookies to showcase their skills. Rookies like Andre Granillo, Gordon Graceffo, and Matt Svanson are expected to step up and fill the void left by Maton.
The Cardinals benefited greatly from Maton's presence in the bullpen before trading him. His role was to be a late-inning reliever and provide experience for a young bullpen. Maton's struggles a bit more during the month of July, but his overall performance this season was impressive. Right-handed batters have a .582 OPS against Maton, while left-handed batters have a .608 OPS against him.
As the Cardinals continue their retooling process, they will be looking to make more strategic moves like the trade of Phil Maton to build up their farm system and provide opportunities for their young talent.
The trade of Phil Maton to the Texas Rangers signifies a strategic move by the St. Louis Cardinals to rebuild their farm system, as Maton was replaced by rookies such as Andre Granillo, Gordon Graceffo, and Matt Svanson in the team's bullpen. Maton's impressive season statistics in MLB, including a top 10 ranking in holds and a 2.35 ERA, made him an appealing trade asset, attracting interest from several teams including the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Maton's departure also opens up an opportunity for baseball rookies in the Cardinals' organization to showcase their skills in the major leagues.
