What the Cubs' New Starting Rotation Will Look Like After Crazy Trade Deadline

On Monday evening, the Chicago Cubs wrapped up one of their most active MLB trade deadlines in recent memory.

The Cubs only had one main mission: Land pitching help to bolster a staff marred by injuries.

Chicago's front office, led by President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer and general manager Carter Hawkins, did just that, adding veteran, playoff-proven arms in Kevin Gausman from the Toronto Blue Jays and Clay Holmes from the New York Mets.

The Cubs already have far and away the best defense in MLB, and now they're adding to a rotation whose ERA is fourth-best in the big leagues since July 1 (3.45).

At this point, the Cubs almost have an embarrassment of riches in pitchers who can take the ball on any given day. That seems crazy to say now, as it was hardly the case 48 hours ago.

Per the Chicago Tribune's Meghan Montemurro, the Cubs have yet to make any concrete decisions about where Gausman and Holmes will slot in. Still, let's take a look at how the new-look rotation may take shape down the stretch!

Cubs haven't made any rotation decisions yet for where Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes will slot in.

Cubs want to talk to Holmes to see if he wants one more rehab start or if he's ready to come off IL.

Holmes got up to 73 pitches yesterday in his third rehab start.
— Meghan Montemurro (@MegMontemurro) August 3, 2026

The Cubs' New Top Five

No.1: Kevin Gausman, RHP

Aug 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) celebrates after throwing a strike against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2026 stats: 4.38 ERA, 127.1 IP, 127 SO, 1.29 WHIP, 3.51 FIP, 2.7 fWAR

The 35-year-old Kevin Gausman was the second-most valuable pitcher behind Dylan Cease on a struggling Blue Jays team this season, and he's now projected to lead the Cubs in fWAR over the rest of the year.

In the 2025 postseason, Gausman pitched to a 2.93 ERA over 30.2 innings. Opponents hit just .159 against him as he helped lead Toronto to an AL Pennant and its first World Series berth since 1993.

The right-hander has been one of baseball's most consistent pitchers since 2022, and his underlying metrics show he can produce far more than the hand he was dealt this season. Those 56.1 career playoff innings put him in prime position to take the ball first in a potential postseason series.

Kevin Gausman as a Toronto Blue Jay:

861.0 IP (3rd in MLB since 2022)
3.62 ERA
920 K’s (2nd)
3.20 FIP (7th)
116 ERA+
20.6 fWAR (4th) pic.twitter.com/fYOvVAaltJ
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) August 3, 2026

No. 2: Matthew Boyd, LHP

Jul 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Matthew Boyd (16) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2026 stats: 3.59 ERA, 72.2 IP, 63 SO, 1.22 WHIP, 3.83 FIP, 1.3 fWAR

Since returning in June from minor knee surgery, Matthew Boyd has looked like the stabilizer he was in his first-season breakout with the Cubs last year. The southpaw has a 2.66 ERA in his last 44 innings (seven starts) and is undefeated in those outings. He also posted a 1.67 ERA with a 0.99 WHIP in July.

All things considered, he is starting to look far more like the All-Star arm that fans watched one season ago.

No. 3: Shota Imanaga, LHP

Jul 31, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) pitches in the fits inning against the New York Yankees at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2026 stats: 3.67 ERA, 127.2 IP, 119 SO, 1.07 WHIP, 4.43 FIP, 1.4 fWAR

If we're talking about another resurgence at the right time, Shota Imanaga is the other Cubs arm who's stepped up to keep the Cubs firmly in the top NL Wild Card spot.

After posting a 5.80 ERA in May and a 4.13 ERA in June, Imanaga earned the Cubs' Player of the Month honors for July, where he pitched to a 1.53 ERA in 29.1 innings.

No. 4: Clay Holmes, RHP

May 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2026 stats: 2.39 ERA, 52.2 IP, 45 SO, 1.10 WHIP, 3.21 FIP, 1.2 fWAR

It will be interesting to see what Clay Holmes looks like once he finally returns from the IL. The right-hander hasn't seen big-league action since a 111-mph comebacker fractured his right fibula on May 15.

Holmes is ramping up his return to play and has made three rehab starts. His most recent one was on Aug. 2, when he went 5.1 innings and allowed three earned runs for the Mets' High-A Brooklyn Cyclones.

Clay Holmes (acquired by CHC) is a mid-rotation starter who is adept at inducing ground balls with his extremely E-W arsenal. He is currently on the IL recovering from a fractured right fibula

Tyrone Taylor is a depth outfielder https://t.co/ApoHFOAHlL pic.twitter.com/xvCTHt7AW6
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) August 3, 2026

There's no guarantee that Holmes will take a front-end rotation spot right away, so it's safe to project him as a mid or backend guy in a now-loaded Cubs rotation.

No. 5: David Peterson, LHP

Jul 21, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher David Peterson (19) delivers a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2026 stats: 5.52 ERA, 101 IP, 85 SO, 1.48 WHIP, 4.11 FIP, 0.9 fWAR

In what's been the surprise of the Cubs' midseason surge, David Peterson has established himself as a key piece of the pitching staff. Don't let the full-season numbers fool you -- since joining the Cubs via trade from the Mets on June 25, Peterson has only allowed more than two earned runs in one start, and that was his 10-earned-run outing against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 3.

Since then, Peterson has a 1.52 ERA in four starts totaling 23.2 innings. Though the southpaw came in as an emergency depth piece, it's hard to see the Cubs moving him out of the rotation for the time being with the production he's provided.

On the Fringes

Edward Cabrera, RHP

Jun 23, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Edward Cabrera (30) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2026 stats: 5.10 ERA, 72.1 IP, 65 SO, 1.40 WHIP, 5.06 FIP, 0.2 fWAR

The Cubs brought Edward Cabrera in over the offseason to presumably be a key piece of the rotation, but his struggles before a hamstring injury landed him on the IL on June 24 have brought that into question. He had an 8.35 ERA with six home runs allowed over 18.1 innings pitched in June before the injury.

The 28-year-old did make a rehab start at Triple-A Iowa on Aug. 1, striking out three and allowing three earned runs over 1.2 innings. His fastball topped out at 98.8 mph, which is definitely an encouraging sign. He is slated to pitch again for the I-Cubs on Wednesday.

It's possible that, given his struggles and return from injury, Cabrera could assume a Javier Assad-type long-relief role or be used as an opener when he is healthy. Cabrera also hasn't come out of the bullpen since he pitched 8.2 innings of relief for the Miami Marlins in 2022. He still saw success there, allowing two runs and striking out 13 over 8.2 innings.

This is not to say that Cabrera, who is under club control until 2029, won't go back to his starting spot eventually if he doesn't get it for the stretch run. But it could be a smart idea for the Cubs to ease him back in this year rather than throw him to the wolves.

Ben Brown, RHP

Jun 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Ben Brown (32) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

2026 stats: 1.85 ERA, 68 IP, 65 SO, 0.94 WHIP, 2.49 FIP, 2.0 fWAR

Ben Brown's breakout year as a starter (1.70 ERA, 42.1 innings) has been hindered only by a neck strain that's kept him out since June 21. The Cubs haven't provided an update on his recovery since July 22, telling reporters that he had been throwing with plyo balls and baseballs. He's eligible to come off the IL on August 20 after the Cubs transferred him to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.

Given the nature of Brown's injury and the fact that the Cubs have yet to lay out a timetable for his rehab and return, it's unclear how much Brown will pitch again this season. However, if and when he does return, the Cubs know that they have someone with both rotation and bullpen experience who can instantly provide a positive impact.

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