Cubs reportedly signing relief pitcher from Brewers' legendary postseason moment

Although recent Milwaukee Brewers postseasons have ended in heartache and fallen short of a World Series appearance, they’ve still produced several positive unforgettable moments that will remain stamped into the franchise’s history.

In 2024, facing the New York Mets in the Wild Card Series, Milwaukee was on the brink of elimination in the eighth inning of Game 2. Trailing 3–2, the Mets turned to July trade acquisition Phil Maton, who had rediscovered his form over his final 31 regular-season appearances after struggling in 40 outings with the Rays earlier in the year.

Thankfully for Milwaukee, the Brewers broke through, launching a pair of home runs to seize a 5–3 lead they would not relinquish. Jackson Chourio ignited the rally with a solo shot, and Garrett Mitchell followed with a legendary pinch-hit, go-ahead two-run homer, golfing one of Maton’s signature curveballs over the right-field wall.

While New York ultimately advanced, propelled by a trademark blast from Pete Alonso in a win-or-go-home Game 3, Maton's name will be forever etched on the wrong side of Brewers history. Additionally, he went on to allow runs in both the NLDS, when the Mets bested the Phillies, and in the NLCS, where they fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers, offering a rare blemish to an otherwise stellar postseason track record.

Fast forward to the 2025 season, and Maton added two new teams to his growing list of career destinations. He excelled in the St. Louis Cardinals' bullpen before being traded once again in the middle of the season to the Texas Rangers, where he continued to find success. Maton's 2025 performance resulted in a 2.79 ERA across 63 appearances, which was good enough to earn him a multi-year deal this offseason, and according to Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation, the Chicago Cubs are the ones handing him that deal.

Chicago Cubs sign relief pitcher Phil Maton, who was on the wrong end of Brewers' legendary 2024 Wild Card moment

Though it's not typical for the Cubs to sign a relief pitcher to a multi-year deal, a significant portion of their 2025 bullpen hit free agency this offseason, and with the rumored high prices of top-tier relief arms, they needed to move quickly to secure help. By signing Maton to a multi-year deal, they’ve signaled that they're intending to compete for the divison over the next two seasons and that they aren't as intimidated by the potential 2027 lockout as their earlier offseason moves indicated.

Maton's underlying metrics were stellar in 2025. With an expected ERA, expected batting average against, average opponent exit velocity, and whiff, strikeout, barrel, and hard hit rates all in the 92nd percentile or higher in 2025, it's fair to expect success from Maton going forward. Despite not possessing the high velocity that is dominating MLB bullpens right now, Maton excels with a cutter-curveball combo that has fooled hitters for years.

It's absolutely an impactful signing from the Brewers’ closest competitor in the NL Central, one that won't become official until Maton passes his physical, which has yet to occur. The Cubs have plenty of work to do in their bullpen before the end of the offseason, but Maton is certainly a strong starting point.

That said, after making just one appearance at American Family Field during the 2025 season, Maton will no doubt remember the 2024 NL Wild Card moment when he steps onto the mound in Milwaukee in a Cubs uniform next season. The Brewers will hope for a similar outcome.