The Cubs are signing RHP Phil Maton to a 2-year contract with a 3rd year club option, per multiple reports.
MLB Notebook: Phil Maton signs with Cubs
Photo credit: © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2025, 19:30 ESTUpdated: Nov 23, 2025, 19:18 EST
The reliever market is slowly but surely moving this off-season.
On Friday, numerous sources reported that Phil Maton has signed with the Chicago Cubs.
Maton had some of the best numbers for any reliever on the free agent market. Last season with the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers, the 32-year-old had a 2.79 ERA and 2.60 FIP in 61.1 innings pitched, with a 32.7 K% and 9.3 BB%.
With the Cardinals, he had a 2.35 ERA, but it rocketed to 3.52 after the trade. The Rangers were Maton’s seventh team since his big league career began in 2017. He pitched parts of three seasons with the San Diego Padres (his draft team), then the Cleveland Guardians, Houston Astros, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Mets, before the 2025 season.
While Maton is a good pitcher, there are still better options on the market. The best of the bunch is Edwin Díaz, with Devin Williams and Robert Suárez being in the tier below. Another interesting reliever this off-season is a former teammate of Maton, Ryan Helsley.
Tigers interested in Ryan Helsley as a starter
Another pitcher available in free agency is Ryan Helsley. The 31-year-old spent parts of the last four seasons as the St. Louis Cardinals’ closer before being traded to the New York Mets before the 2025 trade deadline.
Although Helsley had a 4.50 ERA and 4.14 FIP in 56 innings pitched last season, he is seen as one of the better high-leverage relievers available on the market this off-season. In 2024, the hard-throwing right-handed pitcher had a 2.04 ERA and 2.41 FIP in 66.1 innings pitched, with a 29.7 K% and an 8.6 BB%, somehow not even his best season.
Well, it looks as if the Detroit Tigers have interest in Helsley as a starter, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. The Tigers aren’t the only team, either. Helsley’s last start came in 2019 when he played for the Cardinals’ Triple-A team.
It’s also worth noting that the Toronto Blue Jays have had interest in Helsley in the past. According to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson, the Jays spoke to the Cardinals about Helsley ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, and they still have interest in the 31-year-old.
Jo Hsi Hsu set to be posted this off-season
It was reported on Sunday that Jo Hsi Hsu of the Chinese Professional Baseball League will be posted soon. Back in June, Blue Jays scouts attended one of his starts for the Wei Chuan Dragons.
Hsu Jo-Hsi (徐若熙), who is being posted this offseason, spoke to the media: 🔸 Already visited Japan and had dinner with SoftBank Hawks chairman Oh Sadaharu. 🔸 Interested in visiting MLB facilities in USA. 🔸 NPB or MLB? His wife & kid will be a major factor in the decision.
Hsi Hsu, 25, posted a 2.05 ERA in 114 innings pitched last season with the Dragons, along with a 28 K% and 3.5 BB%. For his entire CPBL career, the right-handed pitcher has a 2.242 ERA in 305 innings pitched, with a 29 K% and 5.8 BB%.
It’s projected that Hsi Hsu will end up in the bullpen. He throws in the upper-90s but can’t maintain that over the course of a full season. Hsi Hsu also features a cutter, sinker, changeup, and curveball.
Although there’s interest from MLB teams, there’s a chance he ends up in Nippon Professional Baseball, as there are a handful of Japanese teams interested in the 25-year-old as a starter.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.