The New York Mets have turned into one of the clearer sellers ahead of Monday’s MLB trade deadline, and that has put their scouts on the move. According to the reporting, New York has been tracking the Chicago Cubs’ minor league system, with attention centered on the Knoxville Smokies, the Cubs’ Double-A club.
That matters because Chicago has several pitching names that could fit a deadline deal, depending on how aggressive the Cubs want to be. The list includes a starter, a left-handed reliever, a late-inning arm, or some combination of all three. The real issue, as always, is whether a club is willing to part with young talent for a rental.
One of the biggest names in the Cubs’ system is 21-year-old shortstop Jefferson Rojas, who is ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the organization depending on the list. He is also a consensus top-100 prospect. That said, the source notes that while it would be surprising for Chicago to move a player of that caliber for a rental, Rojas is not completely untouchable.
There is at least a path where the Cubs would consider moving him if the return is enough help for the rotation and bullpen. Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver are both presented as strong fits for a staff that has been hit hard by injuries in 2026. Holmes has a $12 million player option for 2027, while Weaver is owed $12.5 million next year as part of the two-year, $22 million contract he signed with the Mets this past offseason.
Holmes has already made two rehab starts after missing two months with a fractured fibula, an injury he suffered in May when a comebacker struck his right leg on the mound. Before going down, he had a 2.39 ERA in nine starts.
His career 62% ground ball rate would line up well with the Cubs’ defense. In 2025, Holmes worked as a full-time starter for the first time in his MLB career and posted a 3.53 ERA across 165.2 innings.
Weaver has been even sharper in relief this season, putting up a 1.93 ERA with a 26.4 K% in 42 innings. The idea of adding him to the back end of the Cubs’ bullpen makes sense, especially with that group already seeing 12 different pitchers record a save in 2026.
Another Mets arm who could affect the price is Huascar Brazobán. The 36-year-old right-hander is under team control through 2030, and that extra control makes him a more interesting trade piece.
He has a 2.66 ERA in 50.2 innings this year and is headed into his first year of arbitration next season. Brazobán didn’t reach the majors until 2022, when he debuted in his age-32 season, and he carries a career 3.52 ERA over 256 innings with the Miami Marlins and Mets.
Freddy Peralta has been a familiar name in trade chatter for months, but ESPN’s Jeff Passan said recently that a deal appears unlikely for the Cubs to reunite the former Milwaukee Brewers All-Star with manager Craig Counsell.
The Double-A group in Knoxville includes more than just Rojas, though. Brooks Caple, a 2024 ninth-round pick, is another pitcher the Mets are reportedly taking a look at. MLB Pipeline has the right-hander ranked No. 8 in the Cubs’ system, and he has made 15 starts this season with a 3.26 ERA in 77.1 innings.
His teammate Luis Martinez-Gomez, also 23, is another name to keep in mind. He recently struck out 12 batters over six innings for the Smokies and could be viewed as another under-the-radar trade chip.
The Mets and Cubs have already completed one deal this season, with veteran pitcher David Peterson going to Chicago in exchange for 2025 second-round pick Cole Mathis.
And while the biggest Mets names would obviously draw the most attention, the Cubs should not overlook the veteran rental relievers Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter. Both have been tied to Chicago in past years, and either one would still qualify as a useful deadline addition.
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