Rangers bring in Coulombe, Maton to bolster bullpen

SEATTLE -- The Rangers have been aggressively seeking to upgrade a bullpen that is already the second best in the American League (3.37 ERA).

At Thursday’s Trade Deadline, the club acquired left-hander Danny Coulombe from the Twins, then they brought in right-handed reliever Phil Maton in a trade with the Cardinals.

TRADE DETAILS
Rangers get: LHP Danny Coulombe
Twins get: LHP Garrett Horn

TRADE DETAILS
Rangers get: RHP Phil Maton
Cardinals get: LHP Mason Molina, RHP Skyler Hales, international bonus pool money

“I think what we like about them is that both of them can pitch medium to high leverage spots,” said general manager Ross Fenstermaker. "They can get both lefties and righties out. They're experienced. They're hyper competitive. They're unique in how they go about it. It adds to our group in terms of different angles and different pitches that we have out there. We feel really good about the additions and the types of guys that they are and the stuff that they bring to our bullpen.”

A late-winter signing, Coulombe has turned out to be one of the best bargains from the 2024-25 free-agent market. The 35-year-old lefty specialist is making $3 million this year, a relative pittance for an effective late-inning reliever.

Coulombe has a 1.16 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 31 innings this season, though he was on the injured list from May 18-June 8 with a left forearm extensor strain. He’s posted scoreless outings in 36 of 40 appearances, with opponents hitting just .188 with no home runs off him.

Across 11 big league seasons, the lefty has a 3.28 ERA across 304 2/3 innings with the Dodgers (2014-15), Athletics (2015-18), Twins (2020-22, 2025) and Orioles (2023-24). His 2.11 ERA in 133 relief appearances since 2023 is the lowest among MLB relievers during that span (min. 100 innings).

Maton has a 2.35 ERA with 48 strikeouts and just 15 walks in 40 appearances. He’s also got 20 holds.

His 2.57 FIP figure is the seventh-lowest among qualified National League relievers, and he ranks highly in holds (T5th), strikeouts per 9.0 innings (8th, 11.27), home runs per 9.0 innings (8th, 0.23) and ERA (15th). He has yielded just one home run in 2025 and is one of 11 MLB relievers with 40 or more innings and one home run or less allowed this year, a group that includes the newly acquired Coulombe and Texas southpaw Hoby Milner.

Maton has been scoreless in 21 of his last 24 outings since May 5, registering a 1.48 ERA in that stretch.

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The Rangers, despite the consistency of their bullpen this season, have been in need of a high-leverage arm, especially since veteran Chris Martin landed on the injured list with a left calf strain on July 21. But reliever prices were steep, especially for top targets like David Bednar and Ryan Helsley.

Coulombe has dominated left-handed hitters but maybe even more notably holding his own against righties as well. Coulombe didn’t allow a run until June, and though he had a three-week stint on the injured list, he’s stayed mostly healthy.

There are limits as to how often or how long he should pitch, but as long as his workload is managed, there’s no reason to think he can’t be a key contributor to a pennant-race bullpen. Coulombe has appeared in two postseasons, both with the Orioles, and has not allowed a run in three appearances.

Coulombe and Maton are both quality additions that presumably will allow Robert Garcia to remain as the closer, a role he assumed around mid-May. Garcia -- who was acquired in a trade with the Nationals in December -- has posted a 2.61 ERA with nine saves in 12 opportunities this season.

“I’ll leave that to [manager Bruce Bochy], but I think, one of the great things about our team is that we have a number of arms that we feel confident in, whether it's pitching the fifth and sixth inning or the eighth and ninth, and they may be required to do that in different roles,” president of baseball operations Chris Young said. “We've got some really quality options, in our opinion, that allow Bochy and the staff to mix and match and determine what the best way to close games are.”