Phil Maton

Position: RP B/T: R/R
Age: 30 (03/25/1993)
2023 Traditional Stats: 68 G (1 SV), 66 IP, 3.00 ERA, 1.121 WHIP, 4-3, 74 SO, 25 BB
2023 Advanced Stats: 141 ERA+, 27.0% SO%, 9.1% BB%, 3.14 xERA, 3.74 FIP, 4.24 xFIP, 0.6 fWAR, 1.1 bWAR

Rundown

Phil Maton began his career as a member of the San Diego Padres but faced constant promotion and demotion. He was an effective middle relief option as a member of their bullpen but soon became less efficient after he returned from a lat strain in 2018. He finished with a 5.02 ERA in San Diego through 114 innings of work and struck out 121 batters.

The Padres traded Maton to the Guardians in 2019, where he once again faced the constant battle between the big leagues and Triple-A. A bit more productive in Cleveland, Maton finished his stint in the AL Central in 2021 with a 4.30 ERA in 75 innings, and he saw his strikeout rate drastically increase as he threw his cutter more.

Once again traded, Maton wound up in Houston, where he flourished. Through 157 innings in his three years as an Astro, Maton went 8-5 with a 3.67 ERA and struck out 171 batters. 2023 saw his best year in Houston and possibly the best of his career. While he gave up 25 walks, his second highest after 32 in 2021, he played in a career-high number of games.

Maton throws a curveball, fastball, sweeper, and sinker. While he’s not known for his velocity, his average fastball sat at only 88.9 mph in 2023, Maton is one of the best in the league in inducing soft contact. According to Statcast, Maton ranked in the 100th percentile in hard-hit percentage (23.5%) in 2023. He also ranked in the 99th percentile in average exit velocity (84.5 mph), 95th percentile in xBA (.192) and 90th percentile in whiff% (32.9%).

Of concern is Maton’s control. He plunked a career-high nine batters in 2023, one year removed from hitting eight batters in 2022. His walk rate percentage also ranks slightly below the league average at 9.1%, and walks have risen in the past few years. A ground ball first pitcher, Maton has never allowed more than ten homers in a season.

Contract

Maton earned $2.55 million in his final arbitration-eligible year with the Astros. As he enters free agency for the first time, the right-hander should net either a one or two-year deal. In terms of dollar amount, expect him to earn between $3 million and $5 million per year. Here is what late-inning relievers comparable to Maton have signed for this offseason:

The reliever market has continued to move swiftly over the past few weeks. It’s only a matter of time before more names come off the board. Like other players, as Maton’s stock trends upwards, his price may as well.

Recommendation

Reports surfaced Saturday the Mets resigned right-hander Adam Ottavino to a one-year deal. That said, it’s unclear if the Mets would want to add another arm to their bullpen. However, Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted the Mets are still interested in lefty Wandy Peralta.

The Mets need all the bullpen help they can get. Capping it off at Ottavino might not instill enough confidence in the bullpen and depth. The team might need that extra jolt from an additional signing. Another lefty might handle that, or a righty like Maton. While Maton’s career numbers against lefties aren’t earth-shattering, they’re slightly on par with his statistics against right-handed hitters.

Maton would make a nice addition to the bullpen, allowing Ottavino to work out of the seventh inning. He would serve as the setup man for Edwin Díaz and has the potential to close out games when Dìaz is unavailable.