Cubs Looking Smart for Deadline Pitching Moves Ahead of Two Big Debuts

While it's not time for Jed Hoyer to take a shirtless victory lap around Wrigley Field just yet, there is no question he has the Cubs looking like a clear trade deadline winner.

Of course, the franchise managed to land two of the biggest-name starting arms on the market in Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes. They bolstered their bullpen with an improving and team-controlled Ryan Zeferjahn, as well as bolstered their outfield depth with Tyrone Taylor. The Marlins' Braxton Garrett was also added to the mix and has a history of pitching in just the way the Cubs like.

The Cubs have also won four straight since Monday's 5:00 p.m. CT buzzer. The first three were against the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers in pretty dominant fashion. Pete Crow-Armstrong was a major part of pulling off that series, only increasing his odds to beat out Shohei Ohtani.

Is there still A LOT of baseball to be played? Absolutely. And it's worth noting that neither Gausman nor Holmes has made their Cubs debuts. They each will take the mound this weekend in Kansas City and have a lot to prove for an organization with genuine World Series aspirations.

Regardless, it's hard not to consider these last handful of days a big win for the franchise, especially when factoring in how some of their other rumored trade deadline targets have performed.

Cubs Already Look Like They Made the Right Decision

Aug 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Few teams were more connected to former New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta. The Cubs were even mentioned as a possible suitor months back, as many were quick to make the ties between manager Craig Counsell and Peralta from their days in Milwaukee.

Indeed, the Cubs felt like Peralta's most likely landing spot in the lead-up to the trade deadline, and we have every reason to believe that earnest conversations were being had between the two clubs. But then the Tampa Bay Rays swooped in. The top team in the American League added Peralta to their elite rotation in hopes of helping him iron out the kinks that have led to a 4.99 ERA in New York.

Well, let's just say they have to keep ironing.

Peralta's first outing with the Rays was disastrous. He only lasted 3.2 innings and gave up 7 earned runs on nine hits. This included forking over two home runs to the Colorado Rockies. His ERA has now jumped to 5.37 in 23 starts.

Mickey Moniak hits a game-tying three run blast off Freddy Peralta in Peralta's Rays debut pic.twitter.com/QbUJh651dN
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 5, 2026

Does Peralta deserve more than one start with his new team to get adjusted? Of course, but it's the kind of debut that makes fans cringe, especially considering what is at stake for the 68-win Rays. The last thing they want is for a deadline move to poke a hole in what has been a fantastic season thus far.

Many also eyed Detroit's Casey Mize as a possible option for the Cubbies. While this built up far less steam as the deadline loomed, Mize's 2.70 ERA was hard to ignore. The 29-year-old would have given the Cubs the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that their rotation has lacked in recent years.

Nevertheless, Mize's first outing with the San Diego Padres was as ugly as Peralta's with the Rays. He gave up 8 earned runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings. This included walking three batters and recording just a single strikeout. The Padres – who are hoping to stay alive in the postseason hunt and made some aggressive moves to do so – lost 10-4.

Oh, and let's not forget Jameson Taillon! It was a somewhat risky move for the Cubs to release the veteran starter at the end of July. To be clear, his brutal 5.92 ERA left them little choice, but fans know well how important he was to the rotation over the last handful of years. Chicago got some strong innings out of the veteran, which included some huge showings in the postseason last season.

With how much experience Taillon offers, there was a chance he would make the Cubs pay at his next stop. That has yet to happen. Now a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, Taillon gave up 3 earned runs in his first start. It may not be as bad as the performances above, but it took less than three innings for Taillon to allow ANOTHER home run. He's now given up a total of 26 this season.

Even Reid Detmers is coming off an ugly post-trade-deadline start! Fans were crossing their fingers that the Cubs would bring in the Angels arm, who has several years of control remaining. However, his ERA started to trend in the wrong direction leading up to August 3, and this continued in his Wednesday start.

Detmers lasted only 4.0 innings after giving up 3 earned runs to the Orioles with two long balls. He's now given up five home runs in his last three starts. The Cubs are trying their hardest to cut down on those kinds of issues.

Once again, it's noteworthy that neither Gausman nor Holmes has started their Cubs careers yet. We can't rule out a world where both also fall on their face in their debuts. Gausman, in particular, struggled with the Blue Jays and needs to clean up some things. However, it's difficult not to feel even better about the decisions the Cubs made after what has transpired the last few days. They have seemingly set themselves up for more success.

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