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It's not about finding playoff-caliber starters right now. It's not about building a bridge to a long-term winner, either. The Cubs simply have games to play this weekend, and too few healthy starting pitchers to fill the slots on their schedule. Feeling around in the dark, they scooped up the first thing they could grab hold of, acquiring David Peterson from the Mets in a late-night trade Wednesday.
Jeff Passan of ESPN was first with the news, on Twitter. A source with knowledge of the deal confirmed that the teams have agreed to terms.
Peterson, 30, will be a free agent at season's end. He's running a hideous 6.09 ERA this season, in stark contrast with last year, when he made the National League All-Star team. However, below the surface, he's been almost the same guy in both years. In fact, per Baseball Prospectus, his DRA- for 2026 (90) is lower than the mark he put up last year (97).
Nothing Peterson throws misses bats very well, so he runs a below-average strikeout rate. However, his best pitch is a worm-killer of a sinker, with which he induces lots of ground balls. He's a fine fit for the Cubs, who not only have a good defense to put behind him but badly need a hurler who can keep the ball in the park more often.
With that inability to pile up strikeouts, Peterson will slide into the back end even of a atrociously depleted Cubs rotation, but he gives them stability and upside there. His fastball shapes fit the Cubs' predilections well. This deal could pave the way for the team to keep Peterson around relatively cheaply beyond this year, despite his impending free agency, and for now, it rescues them from needing to install the empty husk of Vince Velazquez in their rotation for any significant length of time.
According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, minor-leaguer Cole Mathis will go to New York in the trade.
Mathis, 22, was a second-round pick in 2024 and has put up good numbers this year at High-A South Bend. That it took until his second full year in pro ball to get out of Myrtle Beach after playing high-level college ball, however, says something about his long-term outlook. It's a small price to pay for Peterson, but because of his contract status and his struggles this year, Peterson was extremely available. For now, this stabilizes the Cubs rotation.
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