February 5: According to a report from Robert Murray of FanSided, the Tampa Bay Rays have agreed to a one-year contract with right-hander Phil Maton. The deal includes a $6.5 million guarantee and a team option for the 2025 season. If the option is exercised, the total value of the contract could reach $14 million.
February 3: MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports that the Rays and Phil Maton are in the final stages of negotiating a contract. Maton, a right-handed pitcher, is represented by Paragon Sports International.
During this offseason, Maton’s market has been linked to the Cardinals, Phillies, and Yankees. However, the 31-year-old reliever will now be joining the Tampa Bay Rays. Maton has seven years of experience in the MLB, starting with the San Diego Padres in 2017 and later playing for the Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros. From 2017 to 2021, Maton recorded a 4.76 ERA over 215 1/3 innings. Despite this, his spin rates and soft-contact numbers suggest that he has the potential for better performance.
Maton’s performance began to improve in his last two seasons with the Astros. In 2022, he achieved a 3.84 ERA in 65 2/3 innings, and in the following year, he performed even better with a 3.00 ERA in 66 innings. Statcast data reveals that Maton had the second-lowest hard-hit ball rate among qualified pitchers in 2023, and his curveball and fastball spin rates ranked in the top 2% of all pitchers.
Although Maton has struggled with walks and has above-average barrel rates, his ability to generate soft contact and maintain above-average strikeout rates has made him one of the more effective relievers in recent years. He has also performed well in the postseason, with a remarkable 0.83 ERA over 21 2/3 innings.
Considering the Rays’ track record of helping pitchers reach their potential, it is not surprising that Maton is expected to continue or even improve upon his strong performances from 2022 and 2023. Maton is likely to fill the role left by Robert Stephenson, who became a high-leverage reliever for the Rays after being a reclamation project. Stephenson recently signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Other relievers who have left the Rays include Jake Diekman (signed with the New York Mets), Andrew Kittredge (traded to the St. Louis Cardinals), and Jalen Beeks and Josh Fleming (both released at the start of free agency).
Pete Fairbanks is expected to remain the Rays’ primary closer, but Maton will likely handle set-up duties since he has only recorded one save in his career. According to Roster Resource, the Rays have a projected payroll of $93.3 million, which would be the highest in franchise history even before Maton’s contract is factored in. In October, President of Baseball Operations Erik Neander expressed the team’s willingness to spend more to support their core players and make a deeper playoff run. This was evident when the Rays traded Tyler Glasnow and his $25 million salary to the Los Angeles Dodgers.