Cardinals reunion with steady relief presence could be in the offing

The St. Louis Cardinals' bullpen was one of the team's few strong points in 2025. While the club finished 78-84, the bullpen held a 3.74 ERA, which was good for 10th in the major leagues. One of the major reasons for the arm barn's aptitude was Phil Maton, whom the Cardinals acquired during spring training of that year.

Maton performed admirably in 2025, as he pitched to a 2.35 ERA in 38.1 innings with the Cardinals and recorded 48 strikeouts prior to being shipped to the Texas Rangers at the trade deadline in exchange for pitchers Mason Molina and Skyler Hales, as well as international bonus pool money.
Maton increased his velocity last season, a rare occurrence for a pitcher in his 30s, and the movement on his pitches remains outstanding. Now a free agent again, Maton may have interest in rejoining the Cardinals.

Maton could soon be on his way back to St. Louis.

With a potential trade of JoJo Romero and possible non-tendering of John King, the Cardinals will be searching for some relief help during the offseason. Maton will command more than the $2 million one-year deal he signed with the Cardinals after his impressive showing last season, and other teams are likely to pursue him aggressively.

Maton was a relatively late signing in 2025, but given his performance and the multitude of teams that will probably be on his tail, he will likely sign much earlier this offseason, so if the Cardinals are interested in his services, they can't afford to lollygag.

Although Maton will earn a fatter paycheck next season and the Cardinals are looking to shave costs wherever possible, there's still a chance at a reunion. Maton, a native of Chatham, Illinois, grew up a Cardinals fan and said he enjoyed his time wearing the birds on the bat. If Maton wants to remain allegiant to his hometown team, he could be willing to sign at a discount.

In the event Maton signs with St. Louis and the Cardinals are buried in the standings come July, history could repeat itself where the Cardinals flip him at the trade deadline for more prospects. That could, however, dissuade Maton from choosing to return to the Cardinals if he knows he's likely to be on the move again later in the season.

If Maton is willing to sign at an affordable price, the Cardinals would be overjoyed to place the crafty right-hander back in their bullpen. A rough season may be in the cards for St. Louis, but Maton has a chance to reward them handsomely in production and, more importantly, serve as a valuable trade chip should the team opt to move him at the deadline. He might demand too much for the increasingly penny-pinching Cardinals, but his signing could pay off in spades.