Today we look at one of the Cubs’ veteran relievers.
Phil Maton has been around for a minute. He was drafted in the 20th round by the Padres in 2015, and debuted with the same club two years later. He’s piched for six teams over nine years, having amassed 23 wins, 20 losses, boasting a 3.98 ERA, 10 saves, 539 strikeouts, and 183 bases on balls during that period, over 471.2 innings spanning 487 games. He has gathered 2.2 bWAR (3.6 fWAR) and has been used as a middle/short/setup man, so he has a little versatility.
Most of his WAR come from his 2025 season, which is good news for the Cubs, and perhaps the soon-to-be 34-year-old can keep Father Time away for another season.
Maton does not throw a fastball. Instead he has a curveball, cutter, sweeper, and sinker. The curve and cutter are his main pitches, with the cutter and sinker coming in around 90 mph and the curve and sweeper at 75.9 and 83.6 mph.
He’s likely to be a bullpen stalwart. Of course that will depend on his degree of success but his track record speaks for itself.
Fun fact: When he makes his Cubs debut he will be the first player in franchise history to wear No. 88.
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