Angels Make Trade With Cubs, Acquire Catcher at Deadline

The Angels sent one of their often-used relievers to Chicago

Angels relief pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn (56) is removed from the game by interim manager Ray Montgomery (81) against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Truist Park on July 2, 2025. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the Angels took the unexpected step of trading both Chase Silseth and Logan O'Hoppe to the Texas Rangers, any trades that happened next would hardly come as a surprise.

By midday Monday, the day of the deadline, the teardown was on. Jose Soriano was a Toronto Blue Jay. Brent Suter was an Atlanta Brave.

In one of the more expected moves the Angels could make, they traded Ryan Zeferjahn to the Chicago Cubs for a package including Moisés Ballesteros, according to multiple reports.

Moisés Ballesteros is part of the return to the Angels in the Ryan Zeferjahn trade, per sources.

— Francys Romero (@FrancysRomero) August 3, 2026

The trade has yet to be officially announced by either team.

Zeferjahn had a 3.66 ERA across 45 appearances out of the bullpen this season. The 28-year-old right-hander had struck out 75 and walked 32 in 51.2 innings.

It's the second time this season the Angels have parted ways with their saves leader; Jordan Romano and Zeferjahn are tied for the team lead with four saves apiece.

Ballesteros, 22, made a promising debut with the Cubs last year, slashing .298/.394/.474 in 20 games. In 59 games this season those numbers have fallen to .231/.303/.385.

Perhaps with more playing time — the Angels were down a catcher after trading O'Hoppe — Ballesteros will have a longer runway to live up to his prospect billing.

Ballesteros was a consensus Top-100 prospect coming into the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Baseball America ranked him 36th overall prior to this season.

The Angels got little in return for O'Hoppe and Silseth. Angel Arredondo, a 19-year-old shortstop from Mexico, was not a Top-100 prospect and not even among Texas' Top 30 at the time of the trade (according to MLB Pipeline).

Now, after trading away their last catcher of the future, the Angels will pin their hopes behind the plate on Ballesteros, whose prospect pedigree is well known in the industry.

The Venezuelan native signed for $1.2 million in 2021, the second-largest bonus among catchers and Cubs signees in the class.

According to multiple reports, pitcher Mason McGwire is also coming to the Angels. The son of Mark McGwire and an Orange County native, McGwire was ranked as the No. 20 prospect in the Cubs' system according to Baseball America.

McGwire, 22, was 2-2 with a 2.40 ERA in 10 games (five starts) at Class-A Myrtle Beach this season.

The trade deadline will arrive at 3 p.m. Monday. No matter what happens in the 11th hour, the Angels will be a very different team on the other side.