The Houston Astros had made two trades earlier this week to shore up their bullpen. They weren’t done adding on.
As Friday’s trade deadline came and went, the Astros were at it again - this time acquiring relief pitcher Phil Maton and minor-league catcher Yainer Diaz from Cleveland for outfielder Myles Straw.
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Maton, 28, has appeared in 38 games this year, with one start, striking out 61 with 20 walks in 41.1 innings pitched. The righthander has allowed 36 hits so far this season, with a 2-0 record and 4.57 ERA.
Diaz has spent this season in Class-A ball for Cleveland at their affiliate in Lynchburg, hitting .314 with 50 RBI in 61 games.
Straw, 26, has been a solid contributor for the Astros in the center field. In 98 games this season, he has hit .262 with 17 stolen bases. This season has been Straw’s best in the big leagues to this point.
Maton now joins Kendall Graveman, Rafael Montero, and Yimi Garcia as relief pitchers added this week to a bullpen that was one of the clear weaknesses of an Astros squad whose 63-40 currently tops in the American League.