The Cubs didn’t just dabble at the trade deadline. They went straight at the heart of the rotation market and came out with another major arm, landing Clay Holmes from the Mets in a three-player deal that also brought former Brewers outfielder Tyrone Taylor to Chicago.
The price was Jeferson Rojas, the infield prospect ranked No. 63 in baseball by MLB Pipeline. The move came together just before the deadline and, after Milwaukee had already been linked to Holmes, it gave the Cubs another big swing in what turned into an aggressive finish for Jed Hoyer’s front office.
Holmes gives Chicago yet another high-end starter to slot behind the group already taking shape. The Cubs had struck a deal with the Blue Jays on Sunday night to get All-Star starter Kevin Gausman, and now Holmes joins that mix as Chicago keeps reshaping a rotation that had been banged up. With Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga also in the picture, the top four suddenly looks a lot deeper, even with Edward Cabrera and Ben Brown still working back from the IL.
At 33, Holmes comes with a $12 million player option for 2027, and the Mets’ decision to move him back into a starting role before the 2025 season has paid off. Since the start of 2025, he has made 40 starts and posted a 3.26 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP.
Taylor is a useful add in his own right. He has appeared in only 67 games this season, but he’s still putting together a .793 OPS with 10 homers. For Chicago, he brings the kind of dependable depth that matters, especially against left-handed pitching.
The Cubs didn’t stop with these two moves, either. They were one of the busiest teams at the deadline, trading away six prospects ranked among the Top 30 in their own system and also sending rookie slugger Moisés Ballesteros to the Angels in the deal for reliever Ryan Zeferjahn.
Milwaukee still sits 5.5 games up in the NL Central, but Chicago made sure the race won’t be ignored. The Brewers remain in control, yet the Cubs’ deadline haul gave them a much more intimidating pitching staff and a real chance to keep pressing the division all the way through the stretch run.
In Other News...
Pat Murphy Just Sent A Clear Message About Christian Yelich
Christian Yelichs uneven 2026 season has become one of the Brewers quieter lingering storylines, with the veteran still working through the aftereffects of an early injury and trying to find some offensive rhythm. Even so, he remains one of the most established voices in Milwaukees clubhouse, and the way the Brewers have handled his slump has reflected both his standing and the teams need to keep pushing for more production.
Pat Murphy has made it clear the Brewers are not treating Yelichs spot in the order as sacred, and the adjustment comes with the kind of practical edge that often follows a tough stretch. Yelich has reportedly taken the change professionally, which matters in a room that still leans on his example, but it also underscores how much Milwaukee wants a different result from a lineup that has not been getting enough from one of its most recognizable bats. [Read more 🡒]
Christian Yelichs Slump Just Forced A Brewers Lineup Change
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The change also added another layer of intrigue to a lineup that had already been in flux before first pitch, with the Brewers trying to piece together the best configuration around a slumping star. For Yelich, the move is less about one night than the broader picture of where his bat and the teams offense stand right now, and it leaves Milwaukee with a familiar question: how do you keep the lineup productive when one of its anchors is still searching for a reset? [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Pushed Hard For Tarik Skubal But Still Lost Out
The Brewers made a serious push to land Tarik Skubal, building an offer around three prospects in an effort to pry the left-hander away from Detroit. Milwaukee was aggressive enough to stay in the mix deep into the process, but the Tigers ultimately moved forward with the Dodgers instead, leaving the Brewers to watch a deal they believed they had a real chance to win go another way.
Pat Murphy and Matt Arnold both acknowledged the disappointment afterward, while also making clear that Milwaukee had done its part to chase a front-line arm. The club declined to get into the full details of the negotiations, which only adds to the sense that this was one of those trade talks where the framework was there, the urgency was real, and the final turn never quite came for the Brewers. [Read more 🡒]