The Mets declined Maton's $7.75 million club option for 2025 on Monday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Maton will be given a $250,000 buyout instead and is now a free agent. The 31-year-old was terrific for the Mets after being acquired via trade from the Rays, collecting a 2.51 ERA and 30:6 K:BB over 28.2 innings. However, the club didn't feel he was worth bringing back at a $7.75 million price tag.
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Mets' Phil Maton: Picks up save Monday
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Maton earned a save against the Red Sox on Monday, striking out two batters in a perfect ninth inning.
Primary closer Edwin Diaz had pitched four times in five days coming into Monday, so he was held out with the Mets ahead by three runs entering the top of the ninth. Maton filled Diaz's usual role well, fanning two batters and retiring the side in order on 12 pitches. This was Maton's first save as a member of the Mets, but he's been very good in a high-leverage role since moving to New York from Tampa Bay on July 9, racking up eight holds and posting a 1.77 ERA along with a 22:5 K:BB over 20.1 frames.
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Mets' Phil Maton: Nabs extra-inning win
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Maton (2-2) picked up the win Thursday in a 3-2 extra-inning victory over Atlanta, throwing a scoreless 10th inning without a walk or a strikeout.
The right-hander got a bit lucky in the top of the 10th -- Ramon Laureano began the frame as the phantom runner and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, but when Atlanta tried to bring him home with a suicide squeeze, Jarred Kelenic couldn't get his bat on a Maton pitch that was nowhere near the strike zone and Laureano got caught in a rundown. Maton has been a solid addition to the Mets' bullpen so far, posting a 1.50 ERA, 0.50 WHIP and 7:1 K:BB through six innings with three holds in seven appearances, plus Thursday's win.
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Rays' Phil Maton: Picks up first save
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Maton picked up the save over the Mets on Saturday, pitching a scoreless ninth inning while issuing one walk.
Maton entered the contest with a two-run lead in the top of the ninth and needed six pitches to retire the leadoff batter before surrendering a walk to Harrison Bader. However, the right-hander was able to record the final two outs following the free pass to secure his first save of the season. Maton has now pitched two scoreless innings over his last two appearances after being tagged with the loss against the White Sox a week ago. However, he also needed 19 pitches to get through each of those two outings.
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Rays' Phil Maton: Takes loss against White Sox
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Maton (0-2) allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit across one-third of an inning to blow the save and take the loss Saturday against the White Sox.
Maton entered the game in the 10th inning with a one-run lead and recorded the first out without incident. However, he served up a two-run home run to Andrew Benintendi one batter later to take his second loss of the campaign. The outing also increased Maton's ERA to 7.59 for the season, though the majority of that damage came from one outing. He also entered Saturday's game having turned in five consecutive scoreless appearances.
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Rays' Phil Maton: Signs with Tampa Bay
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Maton signed a contract with the Rays on Saturday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
The 2023 campaign was Maton's best season to date with a 3.00 ERA and 1.12 WHIP alongside a 74:25 K:BB through 66 innings with the Astros. The presence of Pete Fairbanks and Jason Adam will likely prevent Maton from receiving many save opportunities with his new club, but his impressive strikeout rate should allow him to remain an option in high-leverage situations.
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Astros' Phil Maton: Back from IL
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The Astros reinstated Maton (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Monday.
Right-hander Ronel Blanco was sent to Triple-A Sugar Land to clear room on the 26-man active roster for Maton, who spent the minimum amount of time on the shelf with the bruised elbow. Maton has collected one save, three wins and eight holds while pitching to a 3.04 ERA and 1.12 WHIP across 53.1 innings out of the bullpen this season.
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Astros' Phil Maton: Begins rehab assignment
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Maton (elbow) is beginning a rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Sugar Land, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Maton is expected to make only one appearance with Sugar Land before returning to the Astros' bullpen Sunday or Monday. The 30-year-old right-hander was sporting a 3.04 ERA and 58:21 K:BB through 53.1 innings of work when he landed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 12 with a bruised elbow.
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Astros' Phil Maton: Aiming for Sunday or Monday return
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Maton (elbow) threw a bullpen session at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday and could begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Maton has now thrown two bullpen sessions over the last three days and has responded well to both of them, so he looks like he'll be ready to test himself in a game setting. The right-hander said he expects to require only rehab appearance prior to being activated from the 15-day injured list. If all goes well during his time at Sugar Land, Maton could be reinstated as soon as Sunday or Monday.
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Astros' Phil Maton: Could return next weekend
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Maton (elbow) could return from the 15-day injured list Sunday when first eligible, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.
Maton threw a 30-pitch bullpen session Monday without issue, and he's set to throw another Wednesday. If all goes well Wednesday, Maton looks like he could return to the Houston bullpen this weekend without going on a minor-league rehab assignment beforehand.
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Astros' Phil Maton: Throws off mound
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Maton (elbow) threw off a mound Saturday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
Maton has been out for a week after taking a comebacker off his right elbow. He avoided structural damage and is already ramping up again, however, so he doesn't appear to be set for a long absence. He's eligible to return Aug. 27.
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Astros' Phil Maton: Exits after being hit by comebacker
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Maton was removed from Friday's appearance versus the Angels after being hit by a comebacker in the right elbow, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
He was facing his first batter in the top of the ninth when Eduardo Escobar smoked a 90.2 mph line drive back up the middle and off Maton's pitching elbow. He'll head for testing after the game.
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Astros' Phil Maton: Picks up first save
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Maton picked up the save in Sunday's win over the Angels. He allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out one in one inning.
Houston mounted a late comeback, and Maton was able to escape with the save after coughing up a solo homer to Shohei Ohtani. It was Maton's first save chance of the year. He's sporting a 2.51 ERA with a 51:14 K:BB and six holds through 46.2 frames.
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Astros' Phil Maton: Handed loss versus Angels
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Maton (0-1) took the loss Sunday against the Angels after allowing a run on two hits over an inning of work. He struck out one.
Maton relieved J.P. France to start the eighth with the game tied at one apiece and couldn't silence the Angels' bats. He surrendered a leadoff single and then a two-out double, which plated a run to put the Halos in front. The 30-year-old has given up three runs on five hits over his last two innings after he had tossed 10.2 scoreless frames from May 6 through May 30. Overall, he's still been a useful arm out of the bullpen for manager Dusty Baker and now sits at a 1.26 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 31:4 K:BB and has four holds over 28.2 innings this season.
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Astros' Phil Maton: Fully recovered from hand injury
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Maton (hand) said Thursday that he's fully healthy and expects to have a normal spring training, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Maton clarified that he might be "one bullpen behind," but it sounds like he won't have any restrictions at the start of camp. The reliever missed the postseason last year after fracturing his pitching hand when he punched his locker.
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Astros' Phil Maton: Reaches deal for 2023
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Maton (hand) agreed to a one-year, $2.55 million contract with the Astros on Friday to avoid arbitration, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Maton was a solid reliever for the Astros last year with a 3.84 ERA across 67 appearances, though he missed the entirety of the postseason after he punched a locker and fractured his hand at the end of the regular season. Assuming he's fully recovered for Opening Day, the right-hander should see some high-leverage work in front of closer Ryan Pressly and top setup man Rafael Montero.
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Astros' Phil Maton: Works immaculate inning
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Maton struck out all three batters he faced in the seventh inning of Wednesday's 9-2 win over the Rangers.
Maton threw nine pitches -- all for strikes -- to retire the side, allowing him to complete the 108th immaculate inning in MLB history. Starter Luis Garcia also threw an immaculate inning in the bottom of the second, with him and Maton becoming the first teammates in league annals to achieve the feat in the same game. Though Maton has now turned in a 2.25 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over eight innings in his last nine appearances, he has yet to gain much traction in a high-leverage role, as he hasn't recorded a save or hold during that stretch.
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Astros' Phil Maton: Earns win in relief
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Maton (6-0) earned the win Saturday against the Athletics by recording one out, allowing one hit and one walk.
Maton recorded his sixth win of the campaign, and while he recorded just one out, he needed 19 pitches to get the job done (12 strikes). If this was his final outing of the campaign, then Maton will end the year with a 4.73 ERA across 66.2 innings in 65 appearances. He has posted an ERA above the 4.00 mark in each of his five big-league seasons.
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Astros' Phil Maton: Survives for win
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Maton (5-0) allowed one run on two hits while striking out two over 1.1 innings to earn the win over Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
Maton pitched the ninth inning of a tie game and ceded a solo home run to Randy Arozarena but was bailed out by Houston's offense. The Astros silently walked off the Rays with two bases-loaded walks in the bottom half of the inning to make a winner of Maton. Since being acquired from the Indians at the trade deadline, the right-handed reliever is 3-0 with a 5.25 ERA and 1.58 WHIP over 24 innings for Houston.
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Astros' Phil Maton: Yields pair of runs in win
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Maton (3-0) allowed two runs on three hits and struck out two in one inning to earn the win Friday versus Texas.
The right-hander had an ugly sixth inning, but Houston rallied for all five of its runs in the seventh to put Maton in line for the win. It was his first decision since he joined Houston at the trade deadline. The 28-year-old has struggled mightily in his last 11 appearances, giving up nine runs (eight earned) in his last 11.1 innings, so he should be expected to mostly work in a low-leverage spots in a deep Houston bullpen.
