The Rangers have added another veteran arm to their bullpen, acquiring right-hander Phil Maton from the Cardinals in exchange for minor league pitchers Mason Molina and Skylar Hales, per announcements from both clubs. Texas designated minor league outfielder Dustin Harris for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot.
Maton, 32, is playing the current season on a one-year, $2MM contract signed after spring training was underway. Other clubs around the league are surely kicking themselves to an extent, as Maton has turned in a career-best performance in St. Louis. He’s tallied 38 1/3 innings with a 2.35 ERA, a 30.5% strikeout rate and a 9.5% walk rate. Maton’s 50.6% ground-ball mark is a career-high.
While he’s never been a hard-thrower, Maton has carved out a solid career for himself living in the upper 80s and low 90s. He’s sitting 89.5 mph with his sinker in 2025 — and throwing it at a career-high 13.2% clip — and averaging just 90.6 mph with his cutter. Maton has thrown his mid-70s curveball more than any other pitch this season, and he’s also mixed in a slider that sits 83.4 mph.
The whole package has been effective. Maton is missing bats, inducing grounders and limiting hard contact even better than he typically does — which is impressive given his track record. Opponents have averaged just 86 mph off Maton in his career, but they’re putting the ball in play at an average of only 84.8 mph in 2025. His 28.9% hard-hit rate is among the lowest in the sport, and Maton has only allowed three “barreled” balls, per Statcast’s definition, all season.
Maton has picked up 20 holds and a pair of saves with the Cardinals. He’s not likely to step into the ninth inning in Texas, but he’ll join newly acquired left-hander Danny Coulombe as a setup man to closer Robert Garcia. He’s a free agent at season’s end, making Maton a pure rental, but the cost of acquisition reflects that lack of team control.
Molina, 22, was the Brewers’ seventh-round pick in last year’s draft. The former Arkansas Razorback was traded to Texas in a January swap sending righty Grant Anderson to Milwaukee. He’ll now join his third organization in barely a year of pro ball.
The 6’2″, 230-pound Molina has split the current season between the Rangers’ Class-A and High-A affiliates. He’s appeared in 18 games, 17 of them starts, and worked to a 3.41 ERA in 74 innings. Molina has punched out 30.5% of his hitters and walked 9.3% of the batters he’s faced. He didn’t rank among the Rangers’ top-30 prospects.
The 23-year-old Hales was the Rangers’ fourth-round pick in 2023. He posted terrific numbers in his first season of pro ball but has struggled in year two, logging an ERA north of 5.00 in Double-A and serving up 13 runs in his first 7 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level. Overall, Hales has pitched 33 minor league innings and been tagged for a 7.64 ERA.
It’s not a compelling statistical profile, but Hales has a powerful 6’4″, 220-pound frame and averages better than 95 mph on his heater. Even as he’s struggled to keep runs off the board, he’s fanned nearly 28% of his opponents and notched strong swinging-strike rates. His command hasn’t been sharp in his limited look in Triple-A, but he posted quality walk rates at each stop prior to reaching Memphis.
Hales is a pure bullpen prospect, relying primarily on a fastball/slider combo. If he can get his command back on track and improve his performance with runners on base, he has the tools to be a useful bullpen piece.
The roster casualty for Maton will be Harris, a former 11th-round pick of the A’s whom the Rangers acquired in a 2020 trade. He ranked among the organization’s better prospects for a few seasons and had the look of an offensive-minded first baseman or left fielder. Harris posted huge numbers up through High-A and above-average numbers in his first passes through the Double-A and Triple-A levels.
He’s now in his third run through Triple-A, however, and he’s delivered below-average output in each of his past two stints at the level. In 308 plate appearances this season, the lefty-swinging Harris has a .262/.355/.401 slash with nine homers and 24 steals. He’s walked at a strong 10.7% clip and fanned in a lower-than-average 18.8% of plate appearances. It’s not necessarily bad production, but he’s checked in 5% worse than league average, by measure of wRC+.
Harris is also in his final minor league option year. He would’ve needed to stick on the major league roster next season had the Rangers not jettisoned him from the 40-man roster. That’ll be true for any organization that claims him off waivers as well. Harris can be optioned for the remainder of the current season but will have to stick in the majors or else be designated for assignment again next year.
Since trades of players who’ve been on 40-man rosters are no longer permitted, Harris will head to waivers within the next five days. He’ll be made available to all 29 other clubs at that point, with waiver priority determined by reverse standings.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported that Maton was headed to Texas. The Athletic’s Katie Woo reported the return.
Solid reliever, but I’m surprised the Rangers are going for pitching despite having one of the best pitching staffs in the league.
Having a great staff doesn’t mean you shouldn’t upgrade it if there’s an opportunity to
I thought the Rangers would focus on offense because those hitting statistics are not good.
The bullpen has almost no depth, it’s been a great budget bullpen but no really high end relievers. Maton is solid
The Rangers got off to a historically horrendous start offensively, but they’ve been better since June and look more like what was expected. The bullpen has overperformed, IMO, so shoring it up is a no brainer if they want to make a stretch run and have a chance at being competitive in the playoffs.
Please be for Mitch Bratt lol
He was in Merrill kelly trade
I will take 1 more top 20 organizational prospect.
Bratt went to Arizona for Kelly
Ugh, didn’t see the return for Kelly yet. Thank you
Rangers doing a lot just to miss the playoffs again
Yeah, they’re tied for a playoff spot.
I guess they should have been sellers.
We’re a day away from the standard RAF. Rangers August Falloff
A falloff that won a WS two years ago…
Yeah we call that the RRO. Random Rangers Outlier. Happens every 10 years.
Yeah it happens to Seattle every 10 years too…
Who is “we”?
Mariner fans… who never see an outlier?
What’s Seattle got to do with this?
They probably makin it over Texas tho.
We refers to MLB fans. Fans of the sport called baseball, maybe youve heard of it? Its a Rangers off peak season so likely not, probably too busy cheering on Luka Doncic, oh wait, probably the Cowboys last championship, oh wait….
It’s cool that the Rangers are relevant that all mlb fans discuss them.
Why you’re bizarrely bringing up other sports teams is anyone’s guess…
MLB fans can discuss all the teams. We are discussing the phenomenon of the RAF & RRO, not that they are relevant. No need to flatter yourself by twisting the context. Ain’t gotta lie to kick it bub
Great reply. I was expecting wacky comments on hockey and soccer teams this time…
Burger King also, they have 0 World Series. Just since were including things never discussed an totally irrelevant.
Yes, as nothing is more relevant to trade deadline discussions than the Cowboys and the NBA.
If you’re going to troll, try not to suck at it.
It’s August. As stated, we’re used to the RAF when Rangers fans transition to other sports and Dem Boys starts trending everywhere along with ‘this is our year.’ For August discussions about the Rangers, history would show the relevancy
Thanks for following them!
Keep up the faith.
Better than not trying
It’s not like they’ve traded tons of value
He folds when the lights are brightest,
Molina nor Hales have even seen the bright lights.
Pirates acquire Phil Mcgroin
Hey Texas, I’ll trade all of Detroits trades for yours
AL West goin’ for it!
Both era’s are below 25.60
STL smart to move their expendable pieces. Maton being one of them.
A couple of lottery tickets is better than nothing.
Nice reliever and potential starter for Cards. Amazing deadline for sellers. Rangers did as well as anyone. Just expensive.
Now sit back and see how many DFAs you can claim.
Curious, when Katie’s friends or relations greet her upon arrival at the bus terminal, do they go: “Woo!!!?”
They “Weeee!!!”
What does bus terminal have to do with the pun?
A Molina back in the Cardinals organization!
Dude, is he related to the Molina family???
Instant win if he is!
Not related.
He’s the best pitcher the Cardinals have had this season. Don’t bore me with stats, look at his stuff, it goes where he wants it to!
I would love to see him return but the Cards are too cheap
He threw 38 innings with great stuff for $2M. Would be happy to have him back, but they need LOTS more and he’ll cost much more this winter.
I guess the Phillies didn’t have the Cardinals phone number to call about this guy? The Rangers got him for NOTHING!