The Chicago Cubs are adding another left-hander, but this one comes with more projection than certainty.
Jeff Passan reported that the Cubs have landed Braxton Garrett from the Miami Marlins, a move that came while everyone was still waiting to see whether Chicago had also pulled off a deal for Reid Detmers. Compared with the buzz around Detmers, Garrett is a quieter swing - but one that fits the kind of upside bet Jed Hoyer has been willing to make.
Garrett has spent much of this season at Triple-A, where he posted a 2.90 ERA across 77 2/3 innings with a sub-1.00 WHIP. That production stands out, especially for a pitcher whose big-league track record is still thin. Since the end of the 2023 season, he has thrown just over 40 MLB innings, and he has yet to lock in as a reliable major league starter.
His path has also been shaped by injuries. Garrett had Tommy John surgery in 2017, just four starts into his pro career, and then underwent UCL revision surgery in 2024, which wiped out his entire 2025 season.
For the Cubs, the question now is what comes next. Garrett has almost always worked as a starter, but the fit in Chicago could point somewhere else.
He is arbitration-eligible through 2028, so there’s at least a scenario where he tries to work his way into next year’s rotation mix. Still, with the current group Craig Counsell has on hand, it would not be a shock if the Cubs try him in relief down the stretch.
When Garrett is at his best, he can generate plenty of chase, and that plays in the bullpen.
Miami’s return includes Jonathon Long and right-handers Jace Beck and another arm, with Long viewed as having no clear path to regular big-league at-bats in Chicago. Beck is listed by MLB Pipeline as the organization’s No. 10 prospect, while the other pitcher in the deal is ranked No. 28.
It’s the kind of trade that does not really change the Cubs’ outlook for 2026, but it does give them another arm to work with. Best case, they turn Garrett into one more reclamation success.
But this is depth, not a headline-grabber. It does not satisfy the broader deadline goal of adding two proven starters and one reliever, or one proven starter and a pair of bullpen arms.
That box was already checked with the Kevin Gausman trade, and Garrett is more of a useful piece than a major addition.
In Other News...
Cubs Just Got Pulled Into Torontos Deadline Rotation Shakeup
Torontos deadline-day rotation shuffle has already sent ripple effects through the league, and the Cubs were pulled into the middle of it before the dust could settle. The Blue Jays moved quickly ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline, adding Jose Soriano from the Angels while also reshaping the staff with veteran arms, a sign they were prioritizing immediate stability as they mapped out the rest of 2026 and even looked ahead to 2027.
For Chicago, the bigger story is how this kind of deal changes the market around it. A club in deadline mode can turn one trade into a broader reset, and the Cubs now sit in the orbit of a Blue Jays rotation plan that could still keep evolving as Toronto weighs future moves involving its veteran pitchers. Even after the first wave of action, the way Toronto sorts out its staff may decide whether this becomes a one-off adjustment or the start of something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Just Paid A Real Prospect Price For An October Push
The Cubs made a clear win-now move, parting with one of their better infield prospects to shore up the roster for the stretch run. Jefferson Rojas was sent to the Mets in a deal that brought back Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor, a transaction that signals Chicago is treating October as more than a distant goal and more like a window worth pushing through right now.
Holmes gives the Cubs a right-handed arm who is still on the injured list but getting close to a return, while Taylor adds experienced outfield depth for the final months of the season. It is the kind of trade that usually comes with an uncomfortable cost, and Chicago paid it by moving a player it had reason to value, betting the short-term upgrade will matter more than the long-term regret. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Just Got A Surprising Deadline Opening They Still Needed
The Cubs still have not made a trade move, but they do have one of the more intriguing deadline paths to monitor as they poke around with Texas. The Rangers have shifted their approach enough to at least listen on some pitching, which has put Chicago in the mix for arms such as Nathan Eovaldi, MacKenzie Gore and Jacob Latz. For a club looking for help without blowing up its deadline, that kind of opening is worth watching closely.
Texas, though, has also sent a mixed message to rival front offices, which is part of what makes this whole thing feel so unsettled. Trade talks can turn quickly at this time of year, and the Cubs are weighing options in a market where the other side may not be nearly as available as it first seemed. [Read more 🡒]