The Tampa Bay Rays are finalizing a deal with free agent reliever, Phil Maton. Maton spent his 2023 in Houston where he resided for the last three seasons.
Maton pitched to a 3.67 ERA in his three years in Houston, posting a 3.00 ERA in 2023 across 66.0 innings. Maton has made a name for himself in Houston, as well as MLB, as a reliable arm out of the pen.
Maton was a key free agent for teams marketing for relievers. In this case, Tampa Bay was the destination. Tampa Bay's bullpen pitched to a 12th league best, 3.81 ERA. Adding Maton will likely rank them higher.
Tampa Bay is known for their ability to squeeze talent out of almost anybody. The Rays have always kept a low payroll and fielding high talent at the same time. Although this is hard to accomplish, the Rays make it look easy.
Maton is likely to make a huge impact in his deal with Tampa Bay and will likely maximize his talent. This is a great signing for both sides as they will likely compliment one another.