August 3, 2026 Trade Deadline Rumors/Gossip/Speculation Thread

[Irrelevant Dude]

1 minute ago, Funky-daddy said:

Mo has been awful in AAA so I don’t mind moving him. McGwire hurts more imo

I'm not high on McGwire.  He has flashed some stuff, but it still a long way away from being a legitimate Major League pitcher.

[BKHoo]

This pitcher is trending really well but giving up a guy who looked like a future star at the beginning of the year is steep. 
 

Heck, I like Mo Baller so much I hope it’s a win for both teams. 

[Stratos]

8 minutes ago, JBears79 said:

I just want more one starter. Id take another rental if we cant get a cost controlled arm

It sounds like Detmers is a go.  I trust Cerami here.  But Jesse Rogers i assume still has good Cubs sources too.

[17 Seconds]

Just now, Stratos said:

It sounds like Detmers is a go.  I trust Cerami here.  But Jesse Rogers i assume still has good Cubs sources too.

I trusted cerami but it looks like he blew this one

[ILMindState]

I predicted Detmers an hour before the deadline and I stand by it. 1:45 is an eternity. A lot can still happen

[Funky-daddy]

If detmers is a go, who did we give up. Angels wouldn’t want Mo and Ayers presumably

[JBears79]

I like it. Think this means we arent moving Ayers.

[muntjack]

4 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

Pricy, but the Cubs must be as down on Ballesteros as I am. He got hard exposed in the major this year.

 247 PAs in the majors.  For the first 135, he was one of the best hitters in the major leagues.  For the last 112, he struggled mightily.  He's a rookie that has shown flashes of being an elite hitter.  That is worth more than this return,  in my opinion.  

[macarthur31]

1 minute ago, Stratos said:

It sounds like Detmers is a go.  I trust Cerami here.  But Jesse Rogers i assume still has good Cubs sources too.

If Detmers is still on, then I look forward to seeing the total package we sent for Detmers + Zeferjahn.  Mo Baller feels like a bit of an overpay (perhaps the heart talking too much in this moment), but maybe that's offset in whatever got sent for Detmers.  (Again, assuming that Detmers is still on)

[Hrubes20]

I love Mo Baller, but Zeferjahn is pretty legit and has over 4 years of team control.  His numbers since the arbitary cutoff of June 1st (26 appearances):

15.23 K/9, 4.85 BB/9, 1.38 ERA, 2.07 xERA, 2.56 FIP, 2.61 xFIP.  

Have to give to get.  

[Hortonhearsawho]

3 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Jumping to conclusions, but the Cubs pulling out of a Detmers trade because of Owen Ayers would be absolutely infuriating. Again, hypothetically. 

Unless he becomes a stud then all will be forgiven. 😂

[Tryptamine]

Just now, Stratos said:

It sounds like Detmers is a go.  I trust Cerami here.  But Jesse Rogers i assume still has good Cubs sources too.

I'd almost be willing to bet something like this scenario happened. Where the Angels basically were all in on Ayers, Jed was not. Jed pivoted to Braxton has his controllable arm and now he's open to get another controllable arm or a rental for the rotation.

[Outshined_One]

2 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Jumping to conclusions, but the Cubs pulling out of a Detmers trade because of Owen Ayers would be absolutely infuriating. Again, hypothetically. 

Cerami is usually spot-on and there were others backing him up, so odds are there was a deal in place that got pulled for an unknown reason, and usually that happens because someone's medicals didn't check out.

[ILMindState]

 

[Jason Ross]

2 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

This is probably good for Ballesteros, but it still feels like a high price to pay for a middle reliever type.

Since June 23rd: 

46 K% 6.3 BB%, 2.22 FIP 

If they get this guy, he's a killer. 

[squally1313]

Just now, Outshined_One said:

Cerami is usually spot-on and there were others backing him up, so odds are there was a deal in place that got pulled for an unknown reason, and usually that happens because someone's medicals didn't check out.

Basing it mostly on the blurb from Trueblood's Garrett article: EDITOR'S NOTE: The original version of this piece indicated that the Cubs were acquiring Angels left-hander Reid Detmers, based on my own reporting and that of Bleacher Nation Cubs reporter Michael Cerami. I won't speak for Cerami, but my own understanding is that both pitchers were in play for the team, but that the Cubs backed away from the Angels' demands on Detmers at the last moment and pivoted to Garrett, in whom they've been interested for some time, as we reported last week. 

[Andy]

20 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

4 walks in his last 16 innings

1 in his last 10

Something may have clicked.

Also, something something pitch lab!

[Tryptamine]

Just now, squally1313 said:

Basing it mostly on the blurb from Trueblood's Garrett article: EDITOR'S NOTE: The original version of this piece indicated that the Cubs were acquiring Angels left-hander Reid Detmers, based on my own reporting and that of Bleacher Nation Cubs reporter Michael Cerami. I won't speak for Cerami, but my own understanding is that both pitchers were in play for the team, but that the Cubs backed away from the Angels' demands on Detmers at the last moment and pivoted to Garrett, in whom they've been interested for some time, as we reported last week. 

So they almost certainly balked at giving away Ayers. God they have to be so high on him.

[Stratos]

I'll miss Mo.  But Zeferjahn has a 15.33 K/9 and 2.56 FIP since June 1.  Still lots of walks but if you start the inning with him you're probably good.   If they can improve the walks he's truly elite down the line.

Hopefully they think Ayers can catch next year,  and better than Mo.  I'm not super keen on bat-first catchers.

[Stratos]

26 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

So they almost certainly balked at giving away Ayers. God they have to be so high on him.

It's possible the Angels liked Mo better.  We don't know.  But from the reports it sounded like they wanted Ayers and settled on Mo.  Or maybe Jed caved on Mo?

Edit:  oops I'm mixing up Zeferjahn and Detmers.

Edited 1 hour ago by Stratos

[muntjack]

How did they pivot from a playoff starter in Detmers to a guy that, in his last 2 starts (at AAA, mind you) went 6.2 innings, giving up 13 ER? That doesn't make any sense at all.  

I'm not saying Garrett isn't a worthy project,  but the acquisitions aren't equivalent in the slightest. 

[Jason Ross]

3 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

So they almost certainly balked at giving away Ayers. God they have to be so high on him.

Just some behind the scenes talk: teams and the Cubs seem to be treating him as a ~top-50 talent.

[Hortonhearsawho]

Still have an hour and a half to get Holmes or someone equivalent. 

[Stratos]

Since July 1st Zeferjahn has a 1.46 BB/9 in 12+ innings.  K/9 over 15.0

[Jason Ross]

Just now, muntjack said:

How did they pivot from a playoff starter in Detmers to a guy that, in his last 2 starts (at AAA, mind you) went 6.2 innings, giving up 13 ER? That doesn't make any sense at all.  

I'm not saying Garrett isn't a worthy project,  but the acquisitions aren't equivalent in the slightest. 

So I think the word "pivot" here is not really great in how it's making it seem. 

They didn't pivot from Detmers to Garrett. They pivoted from Detmers and Garrett is just a little part of that. Something happened to the Detmers deal and I dont know what it is or why. But the Cubs have long liked Garrett and I've heard he's a Zombro project who the team doesn't plan on really throwing in 2026. 

So I think there is more coming, it just might be a rental.