Cardinals expected to trade Maton

New York Times

7 days ago

The 2025 MLB trade deadline arrives at 6 p.m. (ET) today. Join us for live updates and analysis on trades around the league. Getty Images Getty Images
After trading Ryan Helsley and Steven Matz on Wednesday, the Cardinals expect to complete their trifecta of reliever deals before the deadline this evening. Several teams are competing for right-hander Phil Maton, a veteran reliever with extensive postseason experience. He's owed roughly $700,000 for the remainder of the season. "It's not a matter of if (Maton) goes, it's when," a team source said Thursday morning. Getty Images
In the Orioles' trade of Ramón Urias to Houston, they got back a right-handed pitcher named Twine Palmer.
Bet you didn't know the last pitch thrown for the Orioles by a pitcher named Palmer was thrown by (yep) Jim Palmer, on May 12, 1984. Getty Images
With hours to go until the deadline and after bolstering their bullpen, the Mets remain interested in upgrading at center field, people familiar with their plans said. Speculatively, Luis Robert still stands out as a logical fit because he hits left-handed pitching well while playing strong defense with speed. Getty Images
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin is going on the injured list, according to sources briefed on the matter.
It is still 'very possible' he will be traded, one source said. Eflin's injury is not arm-related and he is expected back during the regular season.
In a market already saturated with elite relievers, it seems Athletics closer Mason Miller is another name very much in play as the trade deadline approaches.
Yesterday afternoon, Ken Rosenthal reported that the A's were discussing Miller in negotiations for young pitching, and that both New York teams — the Yankees and Mets — were involved. Later, Rosenthal and Dennis Lin reported that the Padres were among the teams eyeing Miller. According to that report:
✍️ Miller, who started six games as a rookie in 2023, appeals to San Diego as a pitcher who could be stretched out next season, if not before then. Another top Padres starter, Michael King, is expected to test free agency this winter. In recent years, the Padres have converted several former relievers to full-time starters, including King, Seth Lugo and Stephen Kolek.
Last night, A's manager Mark Kotsay told reporters that Miller was 'unavailable' without explaining why, a situation that suggests a trade could be in the works.
So, even after Jhoan Duran and Ryan Helsley have changed teams, the closer market includes Miller, Pete Fairbanks, David Bednar, Carlos Estevez, Camilo Doval, Kyle Finnegan and possibly Robert Suarez. Despite such supply, reporting suggests the prices remain high. Getty Images
Tigers: D
Guardians: C
This is fine. Sewald has a track record, and he'd pitched well after returning from the IL in early July, only to end up right back on the IL. For a player to be named or cash, it's a low-cost addition of a pitcher who could supplement the Tigers bullpen down the stretch, when they might be grateful to have the depth. Fine. Do it. Why not?
But the Tigers were, for a while, the best team in baseball this season. They fell hard this month and have since recovered. They've got a chance to do something this October, but so far they've added only a back-end starter (Chris Paddack) and a couple of used-to-be-good relievers (Sewald and Rafael Montero). On its own, this trade is a low-risk attempt to add some depth. But until the Tigers make a move to actually get better in the here and now, it's hard to see this as a worthwhile priority. Getty Images
By Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Charlie Morton is one starting pitcher the San Diego Padres are pursuing as a potential backup plan if they trade right-hander Dylan Cease, according to sources briefed on the discussions.
The Padres are involved in multiple talks with multiple teams. Meanwhile, as many as 10 teams are pursuing Morton.
The Guardians are sending reliever Paul Sewald, who's on the injured list with a strain in the back of his shoulder, to the Detroit Tigers, in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later.
Sewald, 35, has made only 18 appearances this season because of a pair of shoulder injuries. Since 2021, he owns a 3.28 ERA. It's the second time in three years that Sewald has been dealt at the deadline, and on both occasions, he was confident he wouldn't be traded.
In 2023, the Mariners blitzed through their July schedule to climb back into the race, but they still traded Sewald to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who stormed to the World Series. Just last week, he told The Athletic he thought his injury would keep him from being dealt. Instead, he's headed to the division rival Tigers, who sit atop the AL Central.
An MLB source confirms to The Athletic that the Tigers are acquiring right-handed reliever Paul Sewald from Guardians.
The Detroit News first reported the deal. Getty Images
Shane Bieber was set to be one of the more intriguing trade candidates at the 2023 deadline. And then he suffered an injury. The Guardians hung onto him that winter and had plans to deal him at the 2024 deadline if the season went awry. And then he needed Tommy John surgery (and the season did not, in fact, go awry). Even then, the union persisted between the unanimous 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner and the organization that aided his development from a soft-tossing, unheralded prospect.
In December, Bieber signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Guardians that included a $16 million player option for 2026 or a $4 million buyout. He liked the idea of sticking with the trainers and doctors and coaches who had guided him through his rehab process. Now that the rehab process is nearly over, he's headed to Toronto. Bieber threw 57 pitches over four sharp innings on Tuesday. He should be ready to return to a big-league mound in the next two weeks.
For most of the season, the starting rotation seemed like Toronto's obvious area of improvement at the trade deadline. Max Scherzer's thumb cost him months. Eric Lauer had yet to break out.
But, as of deadline week, the Jays' rotation group is healthy and seemingly stable. Acquiring Shane Bieber allows Toronto to inject more depth and upside to that group without stealing a spot from one of the current five starters.
The Jays also used their financial flexibility in this deal, as Bieber has a $16 million player option for next year. If healthy and flourishing down the stretch, he'll likely opt out. Another injury could force him to take the 2026 guarantee.
It's the type of creative move the Jays were looking for this deadline, adding rotation insurance and upside without upsetting the status quo that has Toronto positioned at the top of the American League East.
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Blue Jays to bolster rotation with former Cy Young winner Shane Bieber in trade with Guardians: Source Getty Images
After acquiring Shane Bieber, Toronto continues to aim high in the bullpen market.
The Jays were in on the Minnesota Twins' Jhoan Duran and are also among the teams pursuing the Athletics' Mason Miller, according to sources briefed on their discussions. The San Diego Padres are believed to be mounting the most aggressive pursuit of Miller. It's unclear whether the Jays would part with the package necessary to land a closer who would come with four additional years of control.
The frenzied run on relievers that began Wednesday should continue up to the deadline, considering the number of teams in need and the number of late-inning arms still available.
The Detroit Tigers are perhaps the team under the most pressure to act. Ranking 28th in the majors in bullpen strikeout rate, the Tigers' acquisition of righty Rafael Montero from the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday was a modest first step, at best.
In the AL East alone, the New York Yankees are seeking multiple relievers. The Toronto Blue Jays are still looking for more help after acquiring righty Seranthony Domínguez. The Boston Red Sox might not be done after adding lefty Steven Matz.
The Seattle Mariners, a team reported to be heavily in the mix for Jhoan Duran before his trade to the Philadelphia Phillies, are also still looking, along with the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and others.
Among the relievers still in play, beyond the Athletics' Miller, Twins' Coulombe and Padres' Suarez: the Tampa Bay Rays' Pete Fairbanks; Pittsburgh Pirates' David Bednar and Dennis Santana; St. Louis Cardinals' Phil Maton; Colorado Rockies' Jake Bird, Seth Halvorsen and Victor Vodnik; and Twins' Brock Stewart.
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The 8 biggest storylines to watch for on MLB trade deadline day Getty Images
The Toronto Blue Jays are in agreement with the Cleveland Guardians on a trade for right-hander Shane Bieber, pending a medical review, sources tell The Athletic . Getty Images
The Marlins are a team to watch today for several reasons, including what happens with starters Sandy Alcantara (pictured) and Edward Cabrera, two of the splashiest names on the market.
The interest in both Alcantara and Cabrera is very high, league sources said.
Two other Miami pitchers to keep in mind: Ronny Henriquez and Calvin Faucher. Miami is fielding interest in both players, people briefed on the situation said.
In particular, multiple teams are looking to acquire Faucher, league sources said. Of the two pitchers, he is more likely to get traded. Faucher, 29, has 10 saves with a 3.73 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 41 innings. Henriquez, 25, has a 2.96 ERA in 51 2/3 innings with 71 strikeouts. Both pitchers are under club control for multiple seasons.
Teams are also continuing to show interest in the Marlins' outfielders Jesus Sanchez and Dane Myers, league sources said. Getty Images
Kepner: Hey Chad! Maybe it's because I just got back from Cooperstown and had a fun conversation with Randy Johnson — Did you know he has Kid Nichols' autograph? Now you do! — but for favorite deals, I've got to go with the Mariners in 1997 and 1998.
The first year, they were clumsy buyers. The next, to everyone's surprise, they were shrewd sellers.
It turned out that 1997 was their only season with a healthy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez all together as full-time stars. And everyone knew they'd have no chance without upgrading their bullpen. This need crystallized on July 30, when they blew a 7-2 lead in the eighth inning and lost to the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
What did they do? Panic! In separate deals, the Mariners acquired three veteran relievers – Paul Spoljaric and Mike Timlin from Toronto and Heathcliff Slocumb from Boston. That's quite a haul, but it came at quite a cost: Jose Cruz Jr. to the Blue Jays and Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek to the Red Sox.
Those players would spend a collective 44 seasons in the majors, compiling 76 bWAR. Cruz became a 30-30 guy for the Jays. Lowe and Varitek became core players on the Red Sox curse-breakers of 2004.
The Mariners' relief trio, meanwhile, worked 4 ⅓ innings in a 1997 division series loss to Baltimore, allowing 10 hits and 5 earned runs.
And when things went sour for the M's in 1998, the team decided to trade Johnson rather than lose him in free agency. (The new team in Arizona, where Johnson lived in the off-season, was expected to make an aggressive push for him, and that's exactly what happened.)
In trading Johnson at the 1998 deadline, the Mariners made a terrific deal, though few could have known at the time. Fans expected a haul of recognizable names who could help right away. Instead, the Mariners got pitchers Freddy Garcia and John Halama and infielder Carlos Guillen. The return seemed underwhelming, but all made a near-immediate impact: in 2000, Guillen's walk-off bunt lifted the Mariners to the ALCS, where Garcia and Halama started four games against the Yankees with a 2.14 ERA. All three were part of the ALCS roster again in 2001.
Seattle lost both series, but in an indirect way, the Johnson trade paid off for years to come: Garcia became the favorite player of a young pitching prospect in their native Venezuelan named Felix Hernandez, who chose to sign with the Mariners in part because of that connection. Hernandez wore Garcia's No. 34 while becoming the franchise's leader in wins, innings and strikeouts while winning a Cy Young Award and tossing a perfect game. Getty Images
Among the relievers the Rangers are pursuing, according to a source briefed on their discussions: The St. Louis Cardinals' Phil Maton and Kansas City Royals' Hunter Harvey.
They also like the Pittsburgh Pirates' David Bednar, but believe the price will be too steep.
The Colorado Rockies' Jake Bird is another possibility.
One of the great things about working at The Athletic is that some of our most impactful and influential writers — Ken Rosenthal , Jayson Stark , Tyler Kepner , etc. — are also among the most generous and passionate in the industry, and those qualities really help in a moment like this.
It helps, in part, because they don't mind getting a text message or an email asking a question or looking for help. So, I messaged Kepner with both a question and a request.
Jennings: Hi Tyler! How was Cooperstown? Actually, don't answer that! I know how you feel about Cooperstown, and if you get started on that topic, you'll never have time to answer my actual question.
What I really want to know is, do you have an all-time favorite trade deadline deal? And is there another that stands out as the best deadline deal in baseball history?
Obviously, this trade deadline has been a bit slow to develop, defined largely by uncertainty and, apparently, indecision. It does not seem to be a market loaded with massive difference makers — CC Sabathia ain't walking through that door — but who knows? One of these relievers could change teams and end up getting the last three outs of the World Series.
What's at the highest end of your own trade deadline measuring stick? Is there one trade that stands out as the best ever, and is there another that's a personal favorite for whatever reason?
Stay tuned for Tyler's response. Getty Images
Not every team has officially declared its trade deadline intentions — some haven't made a move, and others have made moves so minor they could still go either way — but here's an attempt to put each team into a bucket based on what we've seen and what we suspect.
Aggressively buying Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners
The Phillies have made the biggest splash so far, and the Mets have aggressively overhauled their bullpen with three separate additions. Each team still needs a bat. The surprise here is the Reds who traded for third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes yesterday afternoon, then followed with a late-night deal for starter Zack Littell. They're going for it. So are the Mariners, who also made a late-night deal to further address their desperate need for offense.
Definitely buying Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox
We've seen these teams make moves to add to their roster. The Brewers might not add much — they've so far added catcher Danny Jansen — but they're clearly on the buy side. The other teams here have a chance to be aggressive buyers by the end of the day.
Presumably buying Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers
We're still waiting for these teams to make big moves, but all signs point to them eventually buying, and maybe buying in a meaningful way. The Astros have added a third baseman, but they could end up doing quite a bit more.
Doing Padres things
A.J. Preller gets his own bucket. He could trade away Dylan Cease and also trade for Steven Kwan. Anything and everything seems to be on the table, but the net result is probably going to be more buying than selling.
Are they really buying?
Did the Angels really trade for a couple of relievers in their late 30s? What's going on here? Are they setting up to trade away some other relievers? Hard to know what's going on out there.
Maybe threading the needle
The Royals have added Randal Grichuk and extended Seth Lugo, but would you really be shocked if they also sold a player or two? Regardless, they're probably not going to move aggressively either direction.
Selling (but it's kind of masked as buying)
Technically, the Braves have added, but it's been a bunch of unwanted pitchers for mostly salary relief. They're adding, but not really. They still have pieces to sell and should sell them. It started last night with Rafael Montero.
Probably selling Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants
The Rays seemed to signal their direction last night when they traded Zack Littell, but they have enough pitching depth to perhaps still think of themselves as threading the needle rather than truly selling. What they do with Pete Fairbanks and Brandon Lowe might determine just how far they go to the sell side. The Giants have traded a reliever but haven't (yet) ripped apart their bullpen.
Presumably selling Miami Marlins, Cleveland Guardians, Athletics
No huge moves for these teams, but the Guardians are at least considering trading Steven Kwan, and neither the Marlins or A's are in position to do anything but sell.
Selling at least a little bit
The Pirates traded away Ke'Bryan Hayes, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're also going to trade Mitch Keller or David Bednar. They're probably not buying, but are they fully selling?
Definitely selling Colorado Rockies, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals
At least one of these teams — the Orioles — could be among the most aggressive sellers in the final hours. So far, though, the Orioles sold without moving nearly all of their obvious pieces. The Cardinals have been fairly aggressive, but they've only moved pending free agents out of their bullpen.
Aggressively selling Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks
The Twins have been the most aggressive sellers. It started with Chris Paddack and jumped to a whole other level with Jhoan Duran, who was traded with multiple years of remaining control. The Twins are definitely selling. They have some obvious pieces still to move — Willi Castro, Harrison Bader, etc. — and could get even more aggressive if they're convinced to trade Joe Ryan. The Diamondbacks have also been fairly aggressive, but the real test will be what they do with Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly.