Jed Hoyer attacked the trade deadline like a front office trying to fill every hole on the spot. The Cubs added two veteran rentals for the top of the rotation, brought in Ryan Zeferjahn as a strikeout weapon for the bullpen moving forward, and even picked up a right-handed bat in Tyrone Taylor to help cover Matt Shaw’s extended absence. It was a clear all-in message for this season.
What the Cubs did not land was the kind of controllable starter they still need to think about for beyond 2026. That’s why one name from the deadline keeps circling back: Reid Detmers.
Detmers fit the profile Chicago was hunting. He had two more years of control beyond 2026, and the underlying numbers made him look like a starter worth betting on.
This season, he posted a 4.03 ERA with a 3.34 FIP, and the signs under the hood were even better. His fastball averaged about 94 mph, he struck out 28.3% of hitters, generated a 29% whiff rate, and cut his walk rate to 7.4%, the lowest mark of his career.
That kind of arm would have given the Cubs a different look, even in a rotation already heavy on left-handers. More importantly, it would have helped now and still mattered later.
The twist is that Detmers wasn’t quite the finished deal some initially believed. A report from Bleacher Nation’s Michael Cerami first said one source had him headed to Chicago, but that was later retracted with an apology after other sources indicated nothing was close and the Cubs instead completed deals for Holmes and Garrett. Hoyer did acknowledge the Cubs checked in on Detmers and Angels teammate Jose Soriano, though he said nothing ever got that far.
That doesn’t mean the door is closed.
Braxton Garrett is still in the picture as a possible project for next year and beyond, but he comes with his own uncertainty after Tommy John surgery and a 2026 comeback that hasn’t gone smoothly. And even with Holmes in the fold, the Cubs still have work to do if they want real clarity in the 2027 rotation, where Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd are both headed for free agency.
The front office has some ammunition to work with. Chicago got through the deadline while parting with only one of its top prospects, Jefferson Rojas, which leaves plenty of position-player talent in the system. Matt Shaw or Pedro Ramirez could also be part of a larger big-league-ready package if the Cubs decide to keep chasing a controllable starter by trade.
That path may be easier in the offseason, too. The Angels do not have to move Detmers, but the deadline pressure is gone, and with their rebuilding moving forward, their leverage may not be as strong.
These bigger pitching deals often make more sense once the calendar flips anyway, and the Cubs and Angels already have some familiarity after the Zeferjahn and Moises Ballesteros swap. Chicago also has a better sense now of what Los Angeles might want back.
The exact asking price for Detmers was never made public, but it was expected to be more than the package that brought Soriano to Los Angeles, which included MLB Pipeline’s No. 42 overall prospect Arjun Nimmala and two other pieces.
With pitching prices where they are, Detmers still looks like the kind of target the Cubs should revisit. He checks too many boxes to ignore, and with two arbitration years remaining, he remains the sort of controllable arm front offices spend all winter trying to find. The expected lockout complicates the timing, but it should not stop Chicago from trying to line something up before the market shuts down.
In Other News...
Cubs Outfield Shakeup Could Lead To A Huge Randy Arozarena Move
The Cubs outfield could look very different by the time next season opens, and the possibility of a major rearrangement is already drawing attention. With Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki and Tyrone Taylor all expected to reach free agency this offseason, Chicago may have a real need to add an established bat and a proven presence in the corners, which is why Randy Arozarena has surfaced as a name to watch.
Arozarena, now with the Mariners, brings the kind of postseason pedigree and star recognition that can change the conversation around an offseason plan. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report sees Chicago as a possible landing spot, and the fit is easy enough to understand even before the front office decides how aggressive it wants to be in rebuilding the outfield. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Still Have A Matt Shaw Problem At The Worst Time
Matt Shaws absence has already stretched well past the point the Cubs first hoped for when he went down with a left-hand sprain in late June, and Craig Counsell said the rookie remains sidelined while his recovery continues on a slower timeline than expected. Chicago has found ways to keep moving without him, getting useful work from players like Pedro Ramrez and Tyrone Taylor, but Shaws situation still matters because he was supposed to be part of the infield picture once he got back.
For now, the hold-up is not a new problem so much as a lingering one, with Shaw still unable to advance the way the club would like as he works through the injury. The Cubs have not described any setback, but they also are not close to a return, which leaves the team waiting on a player whose timetable has become one of the quieter concerns on the roster at a time when every healthy bat can help. [Read more 🡒]
Clay Holmes Was Already Shaping The Cubs Before This Trade
Clay Holmes arrives in Chicago with the kind of late-season expectation that comes with any deadline addition, but his influence on the Cubs has already been felt long before the trade became official. Before joining the team, Holmes spent part of the offseason helping Ben Brown build out a sinker, a pitch that became part of Browns strong run before injury interrupted it and gave the Cubs another look at how much value Holmes can add beyond his own innings.
Now the Cubs are expecting that same presence to matter in the second half, with Holmes set to debut against the Royals and immediately factor into a pitching staff looking for stability and impact. The trade gives Chicago another arm for a critical stretch, but it also underscores something the organization already knew: Holmes was not starting from scratch here, and the fit has been building in the background for months. [Read more 🡒]