Just Minutes before the Deadline, Cards Ship Phil Maton to Texas Rangers for Pitching Prospects and Cash
With the MLB trade deadline minutes from closing, the St. Louis Cardinals finalized one last deal—sending reliever Phil Maton to the Texas Rangers, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. It capped a busy 48 hours for the Cardinals, who had already moved Ryan Helsley to the Mets and Steven Matz to the Red Sox. Maton, the final trade chip among the Cardinals’ veteran bullpen arms, now joins a Texas team eager to bolster its late-inning options.
Maton, 31, was enjoying one of the best seasons of his career before the trade. Over 40 appearances and 38 1/3 innings, he posted a 2.35 ERA, a 2.49 FIP, and a 1.12 WHIP, with 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Though primarily used as a setup man in St. Louis, Maton’s performance suggests he could step into a larger role for a Rangers bullpen that lacks a steady closer.
In return, the Cardinals acquired a pair of young arms—left-hander Mason Molina and right-hander Skylar Hales—along with international bonus pool money, according to The Athletic’s Katie Woo. Molina and Hales were ranked the No. 27 and No. 28 prospects in the Rangers’ system, respectively, by MLB Pipeline.
Pitching Prospects with an Emphasis on ‘Prospects’
Molina, 22, brings a more polished profile. He owns a 3.41 ERA across 74 innings this season with 92 strikeouts and a 1.12 WHIP. The lefty features a well-regarded changeup and projects as a potential mid-rotation starter if he continues to refine his command and secondary pitches.
Hales, 23, has had a rough year in relief, with an ERA over 7.00. While he has intriguing raw stuff, including a fastball that can touch the mid-90s, command issues have limited his effectiveness. He’s a long-term project for the Cardinals’ development staff.
For St. Louis, the trade wraps up a clear deadline strategy: maximize value from expiring contracts and restock the farm system. Maton, like Helsley and Matz, was on an expiring deal and set to enter free agency this winter. Instead of letting him walk for nothing, the Cardinals were able to squeeze out two prospects and bonus pool funds that could impact their international signings in the near future.
Though it’s a quieter move compared to the Helsley blockbuster, the Maton deal fits the broader organizational shift toward 2026 and beyond.
