The Cubs aren’t done adding at the deadline, and this latest swing brings in both rotation help and an outfield depth piece.
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, Chicago is sending Jefferson Rojas, one of its top infield prospects, to the Mets in exchange for Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor. Heyman reported on MLB trade deadline day, "Holmes and Taylor to Cubs from Mets for Rojas pending medicals,"
That’s a steep price for the Cubs, especially with Rojas carrying real value as a top prospect. But the return gives them two pieces that fit different needs right away.
Holmes is the bigger name in the deal. The $26 million right-handed starter is currently on the injured list, but he’s close to coming back after rehab outings that reportedly went well.
Before getting hurt, he made nine starts and put up a 2.39 ERA, making himself one of the more valuable pitchers in the league. For Chicago, he projects as a major boost to the rotation.
Taylor comes over as a 32-year-old outfielder on a $3.8 million contract, and he gives the Cubs a depth option in the outfield. This season, he’s hit .241 with 10 home runs in 145 at-bats, while posting 0.6 bWAR and a .794 OPS.
The catch is that neither player looks like a long-term lock. Taylor is a rental, and Holmes is also likely to be one, with his 2027 player option viewed as a major question mark.
Still, for a Cubs team clearly pushing at this deadline, the move fits the moment. It costs them a valuable prospect, but it also gives them a better shot at a deep postseason run.
In Other News...
Mets Just Sent A Bigger Trade Deadline Message Than Fans Expected
The Mets continued to reshape their roster ahead of the trade deadline by moving reliever Huascar Brazobn, a pitcher who still had three seasons left on his contract, in a deal with the White Sox. In return, New York picked up two minor league arms, Gabe Davis and Zach Franklin, both prospects with limited major league experience.
It is the kind of swap that says plenty about where the club is headed right now. Brazobn had been part of the bullpen picture, but the Mets chose to turn a controllable arm into younger pitching depth as they keep working through deadline decisions, and the next moves will say even more about how aggressively they plan to retool. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Deadline Catching Move Could Signal Something Bigger
A catching swap at the deadline gave the Mets a little more pitching depth when they dealt Ben Rortvedt to the Dodgers for right-hander Chayce McDermott. Rortvedt had only briefly been back in the Dodgers organization, but the move fit a familiar pattern for Los Angeles, which has been forced to patch together its catching group because of injuries to Will Smith and Dalton Rushing.
For New York, the deal is notable not just for the arm coming back, but for what it says about how the front office viewed the rest of the market. Rortvedts value to the Dodgers was rooted in his familiarity with the club and the stability he provided during last years injury-hit stretch, and moving him now suggests the Mets were willing to turn a useful depth piece into a return they felt better matched their needs down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Deadline Purge Is Already Hitting Familiar Names
The Mets' deadline reshuffling has already started to put a familiar feel to the churn, with the front office turning over pieces and bringing in prospect capital as the trade market heats up across the league. New York sent Freddy Peralta to the Tampa Bay Rays and moved Huascar Brazobn to the Chicago White Sox, part of a broader stretch of deadline activity that saw clubs around baseball making their own swaps and roster changes before the clock runs out.
On the roster side, the Mets also made room by promoting Robert Stock and Bryce Conley while designating Kevin Herget and MJ Melendez for assignment. For a team trying to thread the needle between present depth and future value, these are the kinds of decisions that can reshape the bullpen and the organizational picture in a hurry, even if the final ripple from this purge is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]