A final grade for the Mets trade deadline deal for Phil Maton

One of the first of the true trade deadline deals made by the New York Mets in July took place well before the clock struck midnight. Knowing they’d need some bullpen arms to pull off an unprecedented run to the playoffs, the Mets took on the remainder of Maton’s $6.25 million salary in an attempt to improve their odds.

The trade went through on July 9 and Maton would remain an essential piece in the Mets bullpen through the NLCS, for better or worse.

Now that the season has ended, we can look back at whether or not the trade for this grade has changed or not. What’s the final grade here?

Give the Mets trade for Phil Maton an A

Maton limped through the postseason, but how well he pitched in the regular season cannot be ignored. He had a 2.51 ERA in 28.2 innings of work. Those numbers would’ve been even better if not for the two earned runs he allowed in Game 1 of the September 30th doubleheader against the Atlanta Braves.

It’s hard to give this trade a poor grade merely based on the fact that all it did was cost money. Not a single prospect joined the Tampa Bay Rays. It was the exact kind of move a Steve Cohen-led team should regularly make.

The negatives of his stint with New York come only from the playoff implosion. He surrendered a single home run in the regular season with the Mets. He gave up 4 in the postseason.

This might have us feeling a little sour on Maton. As far as grading the trade goes, it does little to deflate what always felt destined to be an A grade.

The Mets can milk this deal further. Maton has a $7.75 million team option for next season. If the Mets can get a repeat in the regular season but for the full length of the year, it’s an easy choice. It looked so up until the playoffs when Maton was much less effective. Because they do have the option, this trade feels even better. They get to decide his future. Whether he stays or goes will won’t matter much. Remove Maton from the 2024 Mets season and there’s a good chance they don’t make the playoffs at all.