Chicago targets a postseason push by shipping top prospect Jefferson Rojas to New York for a veteran starter nearing a return and a red-hot bench bat.
The Chicago Cubs have traded for another starting pitcher at this year’s trade deadline.
The Cubs traded for Toronto Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman on Sunday evening, made a move for Miami Marlins starting pitcher Braxton Garrett on Monday afternoon, and have added another starting pitcher at the deadline.
Chicago is set to acquire starting pitcher Clay Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor from the New York Mets. The Cubs’ No. 2 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 63 overall prospect Jefferson Rojas is going back to New York as part of the deal.
Full Trade Details:
Cubs Receive: Clay Holmes, Tyrone Taylor
Mets Receive: Jefferson Rojas (No. 2)
Starting pitching was the Cubs’ biggest area of need at the deadline. They went into the deadline wanting to grab multiple starting pitchers. The front office has now improved this group by adding Gausman and Holmes.
Holmes has missed the majority of this season due to a fractured right fibula that he suffered in a start against the Yankees on May 15. But before that injury, the 33-year-old right-hander posted a 2.39 ERA, 1.101 WHIP, and 45 strikeouts across 52 ⅔ innings pitched.
Although Holmes hasn’t pitched in a Major League game since mid-May, he has made steady progress in his recovery from that fibula fracture. He has made three rehab starts over the past three weeks. The veteran allowed two runs across 2 ⅓ innings in his first rehab outing at Triple-A on July 23, threw four scoreless innings at Single-A on July 28, and gave up four runs (three earned runs) across 5 ⅓ innings at High-A in his most recent rehab start on Sunday.
Considering Holmes threw 73 pitches in his last start, his first outing with the Cubs should be in the big leagues.
The former reliever posted solid numbers in New York’s rotation in each of his first two years as a starter. He finished with a 3.53 ERA and 129 strikeouts while throwing a career-high 165 ⅔ innings pitched in 2025. Holmes had a 2.97 ERA in his first 16 outings before gassing out a bit toward the end of the season.
He’s having another good year on the mound this year in his limited innings pitched. He’ll certainly help the Cubs' rotation down the stretch and will slot in alongside Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Gausman, and Edward Cabrera (when he’s healthy).
There’s a good chance that the Cubs will only have Holmes for the rest of this year. The right-hander has a $12 million player option after this season that he will likely decline. That means he will be a free agent at the end of the 2026 campaign.
The Cubs also received Taylor in this deal. The 32-year-old is a fantastic right-handed bat to have off the bench. The 32-year-old is batting .241 with 10 home runs, eight doubles, and 28 RBI on the season and has been red-hot at the plate as of late. Taylor is hitting .341 with seven home runs and 14 RBI in his last 20 games. He provides some outfielder depth for this team as well.
The Cubs paid a hefty price for two rentals in Holmes and Taylor. Both players clearly fit a need on this year’s team, but the team had to part ways with one of its top prospects. Rojas is a top-100 prospect on most sites and is batting .270 with 15 home runs, 57 RBI, and 17 stolen bases at Double-A this season.
Chicago’s front office is obviously going all-in this year. Holmes and Taylor are both solid additions for a team hoping to make a deep postseason run.
