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

[squally1313]

1 minute ago, Jason Ross said:

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

The guy the Angels got for Soriano was a top 50 prospect too right? Is that just what it costs to get a pitcher like Soriano/Detmers?

[Post Count Padder]

I like Zeferjahn but that return kinda pisses me off. I like Mo a lot and still think he has a bright future. 

Edited 1 hour ago by Post Count Padder

[Tryptamine]

Just now, squally1313 said:

The guy the Angels got for Soriano was a top 50 prospect too right? Is that just what it costs to get a pitcher like Soriano/Detmers?

We don't really know what else was the ask. I doubt it was Ayers straight up.

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

1 minute ago, Tryptamine said:

We don't really know what else was the ask. I doubt it was Ayers straight up.

They probably wanted Ayers and Pedro.

[Jason Ross]

1 minute ago, squally1313 said:

The guy the Angels got for Soriano was a top 50 prospect too right? Is that just what it costs to get a pitcher like Soriano/Detmers?

Arjun Nimaala is a 50 FV on fangraphs and ranked 44 on their big board. He's ranked #36 on BA.

JJ Cooper talked about how awesome his EVs and batted ball data are.

So...yes.

[Bertz]

Good/Better/Best for the presumed last pitching move

Holmes / Eovaldi / Gore

Let's go

 

[Jason Ross]

If there's a takeway over all of the Detmers/Ayers thing, I think coming to terms on how the Cubs feel about Ayers and how other teams are viewing him is important. I said a week or so ago I'd have traded him for Weaver and FG has him as a 40+ FV guy. That was clearly wrong.

I think a little re-calibration is probably in order. I think putting him in the same tier as Rojas/Hartshorn feels like that's how teams are treating him. Cubs included. 

It makes the lack of a trade a bummer. But maybe I'm also equally as excited about how the Cubs are treating him.

[Tryptamine]

I really think it's going to be a mistake if they don't move Shaw before the deadline. 

[Jason Ross]

2 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

I really think it's going to be a mistake if they don't move Shaw before the deadline. 

I'm not sure it's a possibility with the wrist sprain right now. 

[JD94]

I’m holding out hope that Jed pulls a rabbit out of his hat and lands Kirby (even if it means giving up something that hurts like Hartshorn). 

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

Come on, Jed. We need another pitcher

[squally1313]

2 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

If there's a takeway over all of the Detmers/Ayers thing, I think coming to terms on how the Cubs feel about Ayers and how other teams are viewing him is important. I said a week or so ago I'd have traded him for Weaver and FG has him as a 40+ FV guy. That was clearly wrong.

I think a little re-calibration is probably in order. I think putting him in the same tier as Rojas/Hartshorn feels like that's how teams are treating him. Cubs included. 

It makes the lack of a trade a bummer. But maybe I'm also equally as excited about how the Cubs are treating him.

'Our prospects are actually too good to pick up desperately needed controlled starting pitching' is maybe something I can appreciate down the road but not at this exact moment, especially when I look at tomorrow's game and see newly traded Tarik Skubal going up against Javier Assad. 

[JunkyardWalrus]

Have the Cubs made an impactful trade at the deadline since Chapman? (Soroka aside)

[Hortonhearsawho]

Things have definitely slowed down every where the last half hour or. Hopefully the last hour things pick up again..

[squally1313]

3 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

'Our prospects are actually too good to pick up desperately needed controlled starting pitching' is maybe something I can appreciate down the road but not at this exact moment, especially when I look at tomorrow's game and see newly traded Tarik Skubal going up against Javier Assad. 

Thursday's game being our two month rental going against his old team who traded a top 50 guy to replace him with a controlled starter that's about equally as good doesn't help either

[Bobson Dugnutt]

I’ll admit to suffering some PTSD from last postseason but that two of our three locks to start playoff games are Boyd and Shota doesn’t inspire me with confidence. One more SP to throw into the mix in the next 80 minutes, rental or controlled, would be really nice. 
 

Holmes or someone of his ilk/Gausman/Boyd/Shota isn’t the 90s Braves by any stretch, but they can generally keep you in games. And if the wheels come off one of them down the stretch, you can dip into the depth of Cabrera, Peterson, some sort of Brown/Steele piggyback scenario, etc.

[Jason Ross]

5 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

'Our prospects are actually too good to pick up desperately needed controlled starting pitching' is maybe something I can appreciate down the road but not at this exact moment, especially when I look at tomorrow's game and see newly traded Tarik Skubal going up against Javier Assad. 

I get it. In the moment, it's really hard. My initial comedown from Detmers to Zeferjahn was "whelmed".  But I think if we take a step back, the Cubs are probably doing well this deadline:
- They added a reliable SP for the playoffs. They gave up practically nothing
- They got a back end reliever with velo and whiff. They gave up a player who, by the way they acted today, they believe to be a DH
- They got a somewhat interesting project pitcher for spare parts 
 

If they can add Clay Holmes or another SP in the next hour, it'll be a good deadline for 2026. For 2027, the did BP shopping and may have replaced Rea/Assad types. They are still locked and loaded for a trade in the winter, but this time, they didn't sacrifice the 2026 team to do so like they did last year.

Would it be really cool to get George Kirby now? Hell yeah! But I also think this is a solid deadline and everything remains in play for 2027 while remaining a team who looks like they can make noise in 2026. So it's probably not sexy, but it would be effective.

[17 Seconds]

5 minutes ago, Tangled Up in Plaid said:

Come on, Jed. We need another pitcher

I think it's a big failure if this is it

[UMFan83]

Just now, JunkyardWalrus said:

Have the Cubs made an impactful trade at the deadline since Chapman? (Soroka aside)

Quintana the next year for one.  There was that year we got that PCA fellow (I know you're talking about buyer trades). I think Gausman is pretty impactful...not quite in the Chapman tier but he's pretty damn good and exactly what we needed for this season.

[Tryptamine]

Holmes and Rogers probably the 2 realistic starting pitching options left seeing as Detmers is off the tables and the story of the Rangers being sellers seems entirely false.

[We Got The Whole 9]

Eerily quiet

[sneakypower]

2 minutes ago, JunkyardWalrus said:

Have the Cubs made an impactful trade at the deadline since Chapman? (Soroka aside)

what was Gausman?

[Jason Ross]

Holmes.

[Jason Ross]

 

[Tryptamine]

Just now, Jason Ross said:

 

Let's go. This rotation is now entirely legit.