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

[Bertz]

3 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Don't really know how to square the relative prices of Gausman and Holmes. 

Good job making moves. Very bad job solving any of your future problems. 

It's insane putting them right next to each other.  I'm hoping there's a 3rd player coming our way or there is some mechanism to keep Holmes here next year on his sweetheart salary because on the surface what the flying horsefeathers

[Derwood]

2 minutes ago, mk49 said:

He already pitched 3 games.

Rehab games, right? BBR lists him as still being on the 60-day IL

[Papa Cub]

3 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Don't really know how to square the relative prices of Gausman and Holmes. 

Good job making moves. Very bad job solving any of your future problems. 

I’m not comfortable with this last move for Holmes and Taylor……Rojas is a solid prospect, but they obviously see things different internally

[We Got The Whole 9]

Just now, squally1313 said:

what?

Good opportunity to lock in Holmes for 2-3 years before he hits the market. Personally I'd love if they broached the subject with Gausman.

[17 Seconds]

Jed is just not good I don't think

Edited 12 hours ago by 17 Seconds

[s2obed]

Hell yea Jed. Making up for his horsefeathers TDL last year. 

[Jason Ross]

1 minute ago, squally1313 said:

what?

It wouldn't factor into the trade value, but Clay Holmes was reportedly cool with an extension in NY. He feels very "Cub" like. 

[Transmogrified Tiger]

This has been a whole lot of trade capital used on 2026/rentals.  Hope they make it worth it.

[sneakypower]

Holmes heavy GB proclivities must've had us envisioning him as righty Peterson (July ver.)

[mk49]

2 minutes ago, Derwood said:

Rehab games, right? BBR lists him as still being on the 60-day IL

Yes.

[Tryptamine]

Gausman/Holmes/Boyd/Brown/Shota is a legit and very deep top 5. Grabbing a guy to mash lefties was big too as was getting a controllable pen arm with that upside. Go for the grand slam Jed, one more pen arm.

[UMFan83]

6 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

Don't really know how to square the relative prices of Gausman and Holmes. 

Good job making moves. Very bad job solving any of your future problems. 

I have to assume Carter Hawkins has either resigned or is currently furiously erasing his "2032 Cubs" whiteboard that he's been working on for 3 years.

[Tryptamine]

Just now, Jason Ross said:

It wouldn't factor into the trade value, but Clay Holmes was reportedly cool with an extension in NY. He feels very "Cub" like. 

Crazy GB rate with the Cub defense, he's very much made for this team.

[Dfan25]

When Shaw comes back they better play Taylor for Happ againts lefties 

[squally1313]

We really shouldn't be factoring in any sort of meaningful value to 'well now we have a headstart on signing him to a long term deal' in terms of analyzing trades. Whoever pays him for 2027 and beyond will be paying him market rates. 

[Irrelevant Dude]

 

1 minute ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

This has been a whole lot of trade capital used on 2026/rentals.  Hope they make it worth it.

Yes, the Cubs seem have paid a very high price for what they got.  I think the story will ultimately be told by how the rest of the season turns out.  If the Cubs make a deep playoff run, it was worth it.  If they fizzle out in the Wild Card round, or worse, then we might look back on this deadline very negatively.

[Dfan25]

1 minute ago, Tryptamine said:

Gausman/Holmes/Boyd/Brown/Shota is a legit and very deep top 5. Grabbing a guy to mash lefties was big too as was getting a controllable pen arm with that upside. Go for the grand slam Jed, one more pen arm.

I think Brown will be in the pen most likely . If they can build him back as starter great , not sure they will have enough time for that however 

[Jason Ross]

1 minute ago, Dfan25 said:

When Shaw comes back they better play Taylor for Happ againts lefties 

I think that depends on how you view Taylor. He's crushed lefties this year, over his career its 101 wRC+. I haven't dug into the why, but Shaw is also crushing lefties this year and did so last year. 

Either one, on paper, would be fine to play against LHP.

[tartan22]

i get thinking this is an overpay / not liking the deal on first impression / thinking you could have gotten more out of rojas, but for all the flaws of this front office, one thing it seems like they've earned some goodwill on is having a good eye for which prospects it's OK to give up on

agree it seems steep, but i'm not gonna stress about it blowing up in our faces until rojas actually turns out to be good!

[JBears79]

I would love one more pen arm but I'm pretty happy with this trade deadline. Yeah it would have been nice to get a controllable arm but seems like the Cubs are incredibly high on Ayers and Hartshorn.

[Randall Simon]

Well, you either hated last year's deadline for not ponying up, or you hate this year's for overpaying. 

[Dfan25]

10 minutes ago, Post Count Padder said:

I don't care how good Holmes might be down the stretch or that Rojas is blocked. This was a terrible use of a top prospect as a resource. 

I agree 

[UMFan83]

3 minutes ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

This has been a whole lot of trade capital used on 2026/rentals.  Hope they make it worth it.

I wonder if Jed senses weakness with the Brewers.  Otherwise you are looking at a 3 game WC series (hosted a Wrigley which I think is a benefit), and potentially the Dodgers or Brewers in the NLDS.  I dunno, its a gamble but I'm not going to complain because I would have complained more if he didn't make these moves lol

[We Got The Whole 9]

Im not really expecting much from a player with a lingering hand injury that will have been on the shelf for -50 days. 

[Irrelevant Dude]

Just now, tartan22 said:

for all the flaws of this front office, one thing it seems like they've earned some goodwill on is having a good eye for which prospects it's OK to give up on

Have they?  They have let guys like Alcantara die on the vine.