The Chicago Cubs officially inked a contract with Phil Maton after a few days of reaching an agreement on a deal. The Cubs’ bullpen is something that Chicago needs to address this offseason, and they are already doing so early on in free agency.
 Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that the two-year contract is worth a guaranteed $14.5 million, with a club option in 2028. Heyman also reports that there is a 250K incentive each year based upon how many appearances Phil Maton makes.
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Chicago Cubs Make First Notable Move this Offseason
Reports had indicated on Nov. 21 that the Chicago Cubs and Phil Maton had agreed on a contract, but the team had not announced it officially, and the financials had not been released. As the Cubs prepare for this offseason, the signing of Phil Maton marks the first notable move they have made.
Maton spent his 2025 season with both the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals. Over 61.1 innings, he posted a 2.79 ERA and 81 total strikeouts. Maton has bounced all over the league over his nine career seasons.
GettyARLINGTON, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 24: Phil Maton #88 of the Texas Rangers shakes hands with Jonah Heim #28 following a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Globe Life Field on September 24, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Cubs will mark his eighth MLB organization. Since 2021, Phil Maton has made 334 appearances out of the bullpen, which averages to 67 games pitched over the past five seasons. The Cardinals signed him before the 2024 season, but he was ultimately traded over to the Rangers late in July.
Sifting through Maton’s Baseball Reference page is no easy task, but it’s clear that Maton is two things. First off, he’s going to provide ample innings and be able to pitch any night that Chicago needs him to. He’s also consistently been about 70-80 strikeouts per season since 2021, so he has swing-and-miss ability.
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What Does This Signing Mean for the Cubs?
Phil Maton will almost certainly serve as the set-up man in Chicago for this season, which was a point of emphasis for the Cubs’ front office this offseason.
Daniel Palencia will likely be the team’s closer next season, but the Cubs lacked a true setup reliever all season, and it held them back mightily in the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Maton’s career has been a pretty solid one up to this point. He has a career 3.98 ERA in 478 career appearances.
As of now, other bullpen options for the Cubs include Ben Brown, Porter Hodge, and Jordan Wicks. So it’s clear Chicago still needs to address the back end of its pitching staff before Spring Training rolls around.
It’s unclear what the Cubs plan is this offseason, but at this point, everyone knows that Kyle Tucker’s free agency trail is one of the biggest storylines in MLB, and if the reports are true that Chicago won’t re-sign him, they’ll have to try and replace his production in some way this offseason.
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