Home / Sports / Rangers Acquire Cardinals' Maton to Boost Playoff Push
Rangers Acquire Cardinals' Maton to Boost Playoff Push
1 Aug
Summary
- Rangers trade top prospects for Cardinals reliever Maton
- Mariners make big deadline moves, acquiring Suarez and Naylor
- Rangers add pitching depth with Merrill Kelly and Danny Coulombe
With the MLB trade deadline looming on August 1st, 2025, the Texas Rangers were locked in a tight race for the final American League Wild Card spot with the Seattle Mariners. Sensing an opportunity to gain ground, the Rangers went all-in on improving their pitching staff.
In a major deadline deal, the Rangers acquired veteran right-handed reliever Phil Maton from the St. Louis Cardinals. Maton, who is having the best season of his nine-year career, will provide much-needed depth and experience to the Rangers' bullpen. To secure Maton's services, the Rangers parted ways with two of their top 30 prospects, left-hander Mason Molina and right-hander Skylar Hales, as well as $250,000 in international slot money.
The Rangers' move came in response to the Mariners' own flurry of deadline activity. Just a week earlier, Seattle had acquired one of the best first base bats on the market, Josh Naylor, and then followed that up by trading for slugger Eugenio Suarez, considered the top offensive player available. These acquisitions have positioned the Mariners as a serious threat to the Rangers' Wild Card aspirations.
By adding Maton, the Rangers are hoping to bolster a bullpen that has been one of the best in baseball this season. Relievers like Robert Garcia, Hoby Milner, and Shawn Armstrong have all been dominant, but the team has faced depth issues with injuries to Jacob Webb, Chris Martin, and Josh Sborz. Maton's arrival should provide a much-needed boost as the Rangers make their push for the playoffs.
