The Cubs’ trade deadline moves are still being judged in real time, and the early returns are mixed. Clay Holmes has already looked like a hit, while Chicago is still waiting on the best versions of Kevin Gausman and Ryan Zeferjahn. Tyrone Taylor has given the bench a useful boost, and Braxton Garrett’s situation isn’t really about this season anyway.
But as the Cubs keep pushing forward, there’s naturally going to be attention on the players they sent out, especially the ones who once carried real value in the organization. Most of those names are still grinding away in the minors, but a few are already getting meaningful looks elsewhere.
Moises Ballesteros is getting an extended runway with the Los Angeles Angels, who have split his time between catcher and designated hitter. Since the trade, he has made five starts behind the plate, and the Angels can afford to keep developing him there at the major league level with an eye beyond this season.
The bat, though, hasn’t come around yet. Ballesteros has six hits in 55 plate appearances with Los Angeles, leaving him with a .120/.200/.120 slash line and a wRC+ of -8 wRC+.
Brett Bateman got to the big leagues quickly after going to the Toronto Blue Jays in the Kevin Gausman deal, and he’s already seeing regular time in their outfield. Through his first 51 plate appearances, he’s hit .271/.314/.313 with a wRC+ of 79. The Blue Jays were eager to get him up, in large part because his glove is believed to be ahead of his bat.
Jefferson Rojas was the highest-graded prospect the Cubs moved at the deadline, and he immediately became one of the New York Mets’ top prospects. At Double-A, he’s put up a wRC+ of 114 over his first 59 plate appearances.
Jonathon Long is making noise with the Miami Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate, where he has been absolutely rolling. He owns a wRC+ of 172 and looks like a player who could get a major league look before the season is over. Miami should be the next stop.
In Other News...
Dodgers Drama Just Gave Cubs Fans New Ammo In Ricketts Debate
A major off-field mess around the Dodgers has suddenly become relevant in Chicago, where Cubs fans have long debated what ownership ambition and outside capital should look like in baseball. Two insurance companies tied to Dodgers owner Mark Walter are now under federal investigation by the U.S. Attorneys Office and the SEC over billions of dollars in undisclosed related-party loans, with the scrutiny extending to the Dodgers organization itself because of direct lending between those insurers and Dodgers-affiliated entities.
For Cubs supporters still weighing the Ricketts family against the sports most aggressive spenders, the timing is hard to ignore. Walters ability to keep financing the Dodgers could be affected depending on how the case develops, and the possibility of ownership changes only adds another layer to a situation already dripping with uncertainty. It is the kind of reminder that big-money baseball can look stable from a distance right up until the people paying the bills start drawing federal attention. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Bullpen Picture Just Shifted Before A Crucial Seattle Trip
The Cubs wrapped up their final regular-season meeting with the White Sox in a 3-0 loss, one of those flat afternoons where the offense never found a groove and the bullpen conversation quickly became part of the bigger picture. Jose Urquidy kept Chicago in check over six strong innings, while Clay Holmes took the loss despite coaxing plenty of ground-ball outs, leaving the Cubs with another reminder of how thin the margins can be as the schedule tightens.
Craig Counsell said the bullpen mix is about to get a boost heading into a crucial trip to Seattle, with updates also coming on a few injured arms. The timing matters for a Cubs team trying to steady itself on the road, and the next few days should bring a clearer sense of who is actually close, who still needs more time, and how much of the relief workload can be reshaped before the series opens. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cubs Flop Shows How Much This Team Has Changed
Jon Bertis major league career is over, and for the Cubs it leaves behind a small but telling reminder of how much the roster has shifted around him. Bertis final appearance in the majors came with Chicago in 2025, a stint that never found much traction as his offense lagged and the speed game that once made him useful never quite delivered the same edge.
What stands out now is less Bertis stop in Wrigleyville than the fact that a once-fragile Cubs bench no longer looks like an obvious soft spot. Contributions from players such as Pedro Ramirez and Matt Shaw have given Chicago more dependable depth, a marked change from the days when the bench felt like a place where innings could slip away. [Read more 🡒]