A reliever who was recently linked to the Philadelphia Phillies has committed to remaining in the American League.

As initially reported by MLB.com, Phil Maton has agreed to a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, eliminating him as a target for the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen.

Maton, who is entering his 31st season and is a free agent for the first time after spending nearly three seasons with the Houston Astros, was allegedly viewed as a potential addition by a number of teams, including the Phillies.

Unknown are the specifics of Maton’s agreement with the Rays. In his last season of arbitration, he played for Houston in 2023 on a $2.5 million contract.

If the Phillies had been able to acquire Maton, they could have taken advantage of his workhorse status with the Astros.

In 2022 and 2023, the right-hander appeared in 135 games for the Astros, keeping his ERA under 4.00. By the end of 2023, he had the second-lowest single-season ERA of his career, at 3.00 (Cleveland, 2019).

He had a 4-3 record and, for the second consecutive season, struck out 10 batters per nine innings in 2023. He heads to Tampa with a career strikeout percentage of 10.3.

In2022, he also took home a World Series ring—this time at Philadelphia’s expense.

The bullpen is currently the Phillies’ biggest weakness. The closer from the previous season, Craig Kimbrel, joined Baltimore.

The Phillies have options, but it’s unclear to whom they will turn. José Alvarado has 97 career holds in addition to 32 career saves.

Seranthony Dominguez has 27 career holds in addition to 42 career saves—all with the Phillies.

After five MLB seasons, Gregory Soto, who signed with the Phillies last season, has 53 career saves and 39 holds.

The Phillies may even look to rookie Orion Kerkering, who was called up in September of last year and continued to be a member of the team during the postseason, showing promise in a setup position.