When the Astros pulled off an unexpected trade with the Indians, sending outfielder Myles Straw in exchange for reliever Phil Maton, everyone was pretty shocked. Liked it or not, Straw was their everyday center-fielder and he was under plenty of years of control. And out of the blue, they were trading him for a reliever that has never finished a season with an ERA below 4.00.
But Maton has found success and has been pretty dominant for the Astros, giving them a breather after people showed clearly they didn’t enjoy Straw going to another team. So far, the 28-year-old has allowed earned runs in only one of his eight appearances for Houston.