Cubs Boss Explains Rush To Sign Phil Maton To Two-Year Contract

The Chicago Cubs were one of the first teams to move on the reliever market when free agency began after the World Series. They’re glad they did.

President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer talked about a variety of topics on Monday in Orlando, the first full day of the MLB winter meetings. One of those questions included the signing of right-handed reliever Phil Maton to a two-year deal.

The contract was for two years and $14.5 million. It includes an average annual value of $7.25 million and a club option for 2028 worth $8.5 million. It was a solid financial commitment to one of the better setup men in baseball. But why so early? That was a question reporters had for Hoyer on Monday.

Jed Hoyer on Signing Phil Maton

The Cubs formally announced the signing of Maton on Nov. 25. That was two weeks before everyone convened in Orlando for the MLB winter meetings. Aside from the fit for the Cubs’ bullpen, Hoyer said there was a good reason why Chicago moved so fast on Maton.

“That part of the market moved quickly, as you guys saw,” Hoyer said. “You could just kind of feel that in the market with the urgency of the agents’ calls and stuff like that. He was a guy that we had very good numbers on, very good reports and we knew he was going to be a target.

"So, we went after him pretty quickly, just given the way the reliever market was looking. We felt like this was a really good pitcher and a contract we felt like it was the right deal for us.”

"That part of the market moved quickly ... we felt like this was a really good pitcher on a contract that felt like was the right deal for us."

Jed Hoyer on the Cubs signing of Phil Maton and the relief market. pic.twitter.com/d7ORV7eGvu
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) December 8, 2025

Hoyer has been proven right since. More than a dozen relievers have been signed to Major League free agent deals and four of them have been closers — Devin Williams to the New York Mets, Ryan Helsley to the Baltimore Orioles, Emilio Pagan to the Cincinnati Reds and Raisel Iglesias to the Atlanta Braves. Maton is the highest-paid non-closer on the list, with Anthony Kay, now with the Chicago White Sox, behind him on a two-year, $12 million deal.

Maton fits in as the set-up man for closer Daniel Palencia, giving the Cubs a reliable seventh- or eighth-inning option based on the matchup.

Maton finished last season with the Texas Rangers, as the St. Louis Cardinals traded him at the deadline in July. With Texas, he pitched in 23 games, going 3-2 with a 3.52 ERA. He also had three saves in six chances.

He is entering his age 33 season with a record of 23-20 with a 3.98 ERA, including 478 appearances, 10 saves, 539 strikeouts and 183 walks in 472.1 innings.

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