Instant Grade: The Cubs Just Gave Up A LOT to Land Angels' Ryan Zeferjahn

The Chicago Cubs have landed on a reliever!

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to send Ryan Zeferjahn to the Midwest. The move comes amid a massive Angels sell-off that has already seen big names like José Soriano and Jo Adell sent elsewhere. It also comes in the wake of two other moves for the Cubs over the last 24 hours.

The first added veteran Kevin Gausman to the Cubs' rotation. They acquired the proven starter from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for a pair of prospects. While he may only be a rental, Gausman will provide the Cubs with some valuable postseason experience, as well as a level of durability they have greatly lacked this season.

In addition to Gausman, the Cubs also made a move for Miami's Braxton Garrett. He missed all of 2025 due to Tommy John Surgery and has only appeared in two Major League games this season. However, Garrett is known for inducing his fair share of ground balls, which is something we know this front office values immensely. He's also under team control for several more years, making this potentially more of a long-term play for the Cubs.

Zeferjahn is a very different kind of pitcher. Not only is he a reliever, but he's all about throwing heat. Zeferjahn has a four-seamer that sits in the high-90s and pairs that with a sweeper that forces tons of swings and misses. In his 51.2 innings of work this season, Zeferjahn has a whiff rate of 34.6 percent and a strikeout rate of 33.6 percent. Both marks sit in the MLB's 96th percentile or higher, per Baseball Savant.

Ryan Zeferjahn (acquired by CHC) is a hard-throwing reliever under team control through 2030 https://t.co/ga9jESfJLE pic.twitter.com/MwZC97gaDQ
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) August 3, 2026

By the way, this is only Zeferjahn's third season of major league action, but we have seen him test out a wide range of pitches. He isn't some kind of one-trick pony like many other bullpen arms, which makes him an even more fascinating long-term investment.

Indeed, what makes the Zeferjahn trade all the better for Chicago is that he is under team control until 2030. So the Cubs aren't just getting a reliever who is in the middle of a fantastic season; they are getting someone who could potentially be the foundation of their bullpen moving forward. Zeferjahn has been that good early in his career ... but that's also why Chicago paid a STEEP price.

What did the Cubs Give Up for Ryan Zeferjahn?

Jul 26, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn (56) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

According to multiple reports, including one from The Athletic's Patrick Mooney, the Chicago Cubs will send Moises Ballesteros and Mason McGwire to the Angels in exchange for the hard-throwing reliever.

There is no way around it – that's a monster haul for Ryan Zeferjahn.

Look, you aren't going to get your hands on a cost-controlled guy like Zeferjahn without giving up something meaningful. There is also no ignoring the fact that Zeferjahn is having a fantastic season and gives the Cubs the kind of arm they have desperately needed out of the bullpen. But it's never easy to give up the kind of young talent that they did.

While Ballesteros dropped off a cliff this season and was sent back to Triple-A, the 22-year-old has shown that he is capable of being a difference-making hitter. Ballesteros has natural bat-to-ball skills and excellent plate discipline. He's also the kind of contact hitter that still provides a spark of raw power, as he's hit double-digit home runs in each of his previous four seasons in the minors.

Nevertheless, there have always been questions about his role at the next level. Carrying a shorter and heavier frame, Ballesteros was essentially limited to suiting up at DH. His natural position is at catcher, but it's hard to say that he has been good enough to make that his permanent spot in the majors. Perhaps this is what made the decision to trade him a little easier for the Cubs.

As for Mason McGwire, he serves as the franchise's No. 18 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. The 22-year-old is the son of MLB legend Mark McGwire, but he is very different from his father. Mason is a right-handed pitcher with a lanky six-foot-four frame. He started 2026 in Single-A before his 2.40 ERA earned him a promotion. McGwire is now recording a 4.91 ERA with the South Bend Cubs.

It's hard not to like what McGwire brings to the table at such a young age. He is an extremely hard thrower with a fastball that reaches as high as 99 mph. Best of all, though, is the fact that he can pair that with a devastatingly slow curveball. It's still too early to know if McGwire will become a rotational guy at the next level, but there is a reason he's Top 20 in the Cubs system and earned an appearance at the All-Star Weekend Futures Game this season.

With that said, it's hard not to look at this as a slight overpay for the Cubs. Those are two well-regarded players with a potentially very bright future. At the same time, isn't this an organization that has insisted on making a World Series run? You have to be aggressive at some point, especially as several other contenders improve. The bullpen is such a vital part of postseason success, and now the Cubs have the kind of reliever every championship team needs.

Instant Grade: C+

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