Marlins Just Sent A Clear Deadline Message About Their Pitching Plans

The Chicago Cubs bolster their pitching rotation with a strategic trade for Marlins' left-hander Braxton Garrett, addressing their long-term roster needs.

The Cubs keep adding arms, and this time the target is left-hander Braxton Garrett.

Chicago is acquiring Garrett from the Miami Marlins ahead of Monday’s trade deadline, according to a league source familiar with a deal that has not been finalized. In return, the Marlins will get Triple-A first baseman Jonathon Long and Double-A right-hander Jace Beck, a league source said.

Garrett has spent most of this season at Miami’s Triple-A affiliate after missing part of 2024 and all of 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He turns 29 on Wednesday, and the Cubs are betting on a pitcher who has already shown he can handle major-league innings when healthy.

The former No. 7 pick in the 2016 draft out of high school had his best stretch in 2023, when he went 9-7 with a 3.66 ERA across 159 2/3 innings. That season offered the clearest look yet at what Garrett can be when everything lines up.

Miami, meanwhile, has kept talking with Chicago because the two clubs match up well in this kind of trade. The Marlins have pitching to move, while the Cubs have leaned heavily toward hitting prospects, which helps create a workable path to a deal.

This is not the first time the two sides have done business. Last winter, the Cubs landed Edward Cabrera from the Marlins for outfielder Owen Caissie and two minor-league infielders. The offseason before that, Chicago pulled out of a deal for Jesús Luzardo because of medical concerns.

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