In today's 10 AM video called "Ten Hochman," Ben Hochman discusses new Cardinals pitcher Phil Maton! Plus a happy birthday shoutout to Will Clark! And as always, Hochman picks a random Cards card from the hat!
FILE - New York Mets pitcher Phil Maton throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the seventh inning in Game 4 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in New York.
JUPITER, Fla. -- With three weeks of spring training remaining before opening day at Busch Stadium and three weeks to make decisions on the bullpen, three weeks to explore any last-minute trades, three weeks to stir the offense, and three weeks to make that first free-agent move of the offseason, the Best Podcast in Baseball considers camp with a pair of threes.
Three up.
Three down.
Post-Dispatch sports columnist and instant offense for Jeff Gordon joins baseball writer Derrick Goold to discuss three ups of spring (players who have stood out) and three downs (trends of note), and all of that leads to the one major lineup dilemma looming over the team. Manager Oliver Marmol likes to say it will take a larger room to come to a conclusion on some of the defining decisions of March. This is a look at how those talks could go.
Gordon joins the podcast from St. Louis, while Goold is in Jupiter covering spring training for the Post-Dispatch's constant Cardinals coverage.
The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of St. Louis, is in its 13th season. It is a production of the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, , and Derrick Goold.
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JUPITER, Fla. — After growing up a Cardinals fan in Chatham, Illinois, and spending nine years in the majors, what's waiting another few months to sign with the club?
Phil Maton, a Central Illinois and St. Louis-area kid who became a veteran late-inning reliever, signed a one-year deal with the team Thursday and was in the clubhouse before the team made the official announcement. The team did not reveal financial terms of the agreement, but a source said Maton will receive $2 million.
This is the Cardinals' first major-league signing of the offseason.
"We were trying to look for depth," said John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations. "We do feel like going into this season we have put together a lot of flexibility in our bullpen. Phil even last year before camp started was someone we were trying to sign. Obviously, we didn't. He was out there. For the last month or so I've been keeping a pulse on the market and ultimately we got to a place where we were comfortable.
"I believe he'll be an ideal addition for us," Mozeliak continued. "Just having some veteran presence in our bullpen, because it is a younger bullpen."
Maton grew up near the unofficial border between Cardinals Nation and Cubdom, and he said he became a Cardinals fan because he "had no choice." His parents were fans of the Cardinals.
He was also a youth during the heady Albert Pujols and NLCS years.Â
The Cardinals made the move for Maton to fortify the late-inning options and see the right-hander as sliding into a role similar to Andrew Kittredge a year ago. Maton, who turns 32 later this month, is 19-15 in his career with five saves and a 4.16 ERA. He has postseason experience with Houston, and last season he had 18 holds for a career high to go with a 0.84 WHIP in the final 31 games with the Mets.
He made six postseason appearances for the Mets this past October and has 26 career relief appearances in the postseason.Â
Maton will wear No. 88 and begin workouts with the Cardinals immediately.
He has been throwing in Arizona while awaiting offers from teams.
The Cardinals plan to have Maton in a simulated game on the backfields by early next week and that will make it possible for him to appear in at least one Grapefruit League game before the team heads north for the regular season.
To make room on the 40-player roster for the right-hander the Cardinals did not move any player to the 60-day injured list. They designated lefty Bailey Horn for assignment.
This is a breaking news story and there will be more coverage at .
As next CBA negotiations loom in 2026, Tony Clark says the union is concerned by trends but mentioned proposals made to spur small-, mid-market spending.Â
June 7, 2010 -- Glenwood pitcher Phil Maton pitches during a Class 3A supersectional game between Triad and Glenwood at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Ill.
Chris Lee clee@post-dispatch.com
Chris Lee
Maton, a Cardinals fan growing up, had been targeted by the team before, though in a different time, when they aimed to contend. So why now?
FILE - New York Mets pitcher Phil Maton throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the seventh inning in Game 4 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in New York.
June 7, 2010 -- Glenwood pitcher Phil Maton pitches during a Class 3A supersectional game between Triad and Glenwood at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Ill.
Chris Lee clee@post-dispatch.com
