Cubs Call Up Newcomer Braxton Garrett Sooner Than Expected

The Chicago Cubs just made room for one of their quietest trade deadline acquisitions.

Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes were the obvious headliners of Jed Hoyer's busy deadline, and both are expected to make their debuts this upcoming weekend in Kansas City. As for Ryan Zeferjahn, he may have been a lesser-known reliever, but the hard-thrower made quite a strong first impression in his initial action against the Dodgers this season. Even Tyrone Taylor – the one position player acquired by the Cubs – found his way into the starting lineup twice this week.

This left Braxton Garrett as the one Cubs newcomer in limbo. It was somewhat surprising to see the organization add the former Marlins starter, as he missed the entirety of the 2025 campaign with Tommy John Surgery. His two games back in the majors this year also left a lot to be desired, as Garrett gave up 7 earned runs with eight walks in just 4.1 innings of work.

With that in mind, landing Garrett felt more like a long-term play, and the Cubs' decision to immediately move him to Triple-A coincided with that. Perhaps he could fight for a starting role in the 2027 rotation.

Well, it turns out the Cubs did have more immediate plans for Garrett. Ahead of their matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday, the organization elevated the 29-year-old to the active roster, moving Tyler Ferguson back to Iowa. The big question now: What void will Garrett fill?

Braxton Garrett Joins Cubs Roster Days After Trade Deadline

Feb 26, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Florida Marlins starting pitcher Braxton Garrett (20) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during spring training at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Calling up someone with only nine major league appearances since the start of the 2024 season comes with plenty of risk. This feels particularly true when considering what is on the line for the Cubs down the stretch. Plus, it's not like they didn't add several other contributors to their pitching staff this week.

Garrett is also a career-long starter. At essentially no point in his journey in either the minors or majors has Garrett pitched in relief. Does that mean he can not do it? Of course not, but it's not a position he's used to being in.

At the same time, this sure feels like what the Cubs have planned for him moving forward, at least at this juncture. Both Gausman and Holmes are set to join the rotation alongside Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, and David Peterson. All three of those pre-existing rotation members are pitching the best they have all season. In other words, it would be a true shock if any lost their job.

Peterson would be the most likely to move to the bullpen, as he was pitching in relief for the Mets earlier this season. But that would still feel rather silly after his last several outings. The veteran has a 1.52 ERA over his last four starts and has been awesome pitching in front of the Cubs' infield defense.

All things considered, this means that Garrett is destined for a bullpen job, which the Cubs have to hope doesn't come with any growing pains. The good news is that Garrett has been electric when throwing in Triple-A this season. He has a 2.09 ERA in his 16 outings and 77.2 innings of work. We also can't ignore the fact that he has long fit the model that this current front office values with his ability to induce ground balls.

Garrett has a solid 1.42 GO/AO in Triple-A this year. Equally notable, his ground ball rate sat at 51.7 percent in 2024 and 49.0 percent in 2023, when he made a career-high 30 starts. Garrett also isn't someone who has ever walked many batters, showing pretty fantastic command with his sinker and sweeper.

The proof of concept is there with Garrett, which is why he felt like a decent gamble for the Cubs at the deadline. But whether he's ready to shake off the rust and adjust to a relief role will be worth monitoring. If you're the Cubs, though, now might be the time to find out. It never hurts to have a supply of guys who can eat multiple innings in the bullpen, especially the closer you get to the postseason.

Speaking of which, there is a possibility that this call-up is somewhat short-lived. This has been a busy week for Chicago after some close battles against Los Angeles. The bullpen has been used quite a bit, which might make things more about bringing up a fresh arm than anything else. After all, Tyler Ferguson has been solid in recent weeks.

Still, the Cubs are certainly hoping that Garrett proves to be an underrated deadline get, and they will now begin to find out if that's the case a tad sooner than anyone expected.

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